CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

In note to grandmother, girl says man sexually abused her thousands of times, Valparaiso police say

Times - 5/25/2021

May 25—VALPARAISO — A 14-year-old girl recently revealed in a note to her grandmother that she had been sexually abused thousands of times over seven years, according to charging documents.

That revelation led to the arrest of Douglas Roberts Jr., 41, of North Judson, who faces a felony count of sexual misconduct with a minor, court records show.

Roberts admitted to the girl's claims and said the last incident took place May 7 at a Valparaiso hotel, Valparaiso police said.

"Yes. Yes, it happened," Roberts reportedly told police. "I probably need to be there (prison)."

The girl apologized in the note about not saying something about the abuse sooner, but said she was scared, police said. She said the abuse occurred at several different locations over the years.

An employee at the Valparaiso hotel remembered Roberts and the girl at the location because they had left after just a few hours, charging documents say.

The girl's mother told police they've lived in Hebron the last month and before that lived in various communities around Indiana.

The girl said Roberts told her to keep quiet about the alleged sexual abuse and if she became pregnant to claim another person was responsible, police said.

Roberts denied the accusations at first, police said. He then broke down, cried and confessed, estimating he sexually abused the girl no more than 50 times over a period of three years, according to police.

"However, he admitted the relationship was 'too long,'" charges say.

___

(c)2021 The Times (Munster, Ind.)

Visit The Times (Munster, Ind.) at www.nwitimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.