Opening arguments were held Tuesday for a Hobart man charged with repeatedly touching a preteen girl.
Aaron Seidel, 39, was charged April 13, 2020 with two counts of Level 4 child molesting. He has pleaded not guilty.
Deputy Prosecutor C.J. Washington said his actions were a “betrayal of trust”. It evolved from cuddles to inappropriate touching, she said.
The girl “froze” and “didn’t know what to do”. He told her not to tell anyone.
Defense lawyer Joseph Roberts said the case may be about “misinterpretation”.
“It didn’t happen,” he said.
The girl’s father testified that before the incident, he grew suspicious and didn’t want his kids around Seidel. He telephoned for legal advice and was told there wasn’t much he could do.
In September 2019, she confided in a school counselor. While he was trying to speak with the girl that evening to see what happened, someone from the Indiana Department of Child Services knocked on his door.
The charging affidavit states the victim reported the abuse started in March 2019.
Federal court records state that Seidel, then 28, formerly of Eurora, Illinois, admitted he went to West Virginia from Illinois in January 2013 to have sex with a 14-year-old teen.
He was sentenced to 51 months — or just over 4 years under the plea deal for Traveling in Interstate commerce for the Purpose of Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct. His probation runs through 2027, according to federal court filings. He is required to register as a sex offender.