By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

Sidney Raymond Ousley

WARSAW — A Rochester man will serve six years in prison after being convicted of molesting a child.

Sidney Raymond Ousley, 20, 1100 Park Road Lot 28, Rochester, was charged with child molesting, a level 3 felony. A second child molesting charge was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Ousley was sentenced in Kosciusko Superior Court One on Monday, Aug. 16.

On April 27, 2020, dispatch reported a child leaving their residence to walk a dog. The child could not be found by their family at the time. A Warsaw police officer made contact with the child’s legal guardian.

According to court documents, the guardian said the child had asked to take the dog for a walk around 9:30 p.m. and was told “no,” but that the child left with the dog anyway.

About an hour later, the child was found by a family member. Dispatch told officers that one of the child’s relatives was requesting to speak with law enforcement after learning that the child had been interacting with Ousley earlier in the evening.

The relative told officers while searching the child’s phone, she found a sexually charged conversation between the child and Ousley. During the investigation, officers learned Ousley used to date the child’s sibling and had spent time with the child and their sibling that day.

The child admitted to leaving the house with a dog and going to a park to meet Ousley, who was waiting in a minivan. They said that while the two were in the minivan, Ousley touched them “everywhere.”

Police reviewed messages between Ousley and the child, which were related to arranging a rendezvous for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. In one of the messages, Ousley indicated that he didn’t want to get caught.

The child told officers that this was the first time any sexual contact had occurred between them and Ousley. The child said Ousley was aware of their age due to Ousley’s prior relationship with their sibling.

Police spoke with one of Ousley’s relatives, who said Ousley had told someone that he engaged in sexual contact with the child.

For child molestation, Special Judge Karen Springer sentenced Ousley to nine years in the Indiana Department of Corrections, with three years suspended on probation.

In total, Ousley will serve six years in prison. He has 335 days of jail time credit.

“You are so out of control,” said Springer. “I hope your stint in the DoC teaches you responsibility. There is no excuse for this offense. None whatsoever.”