INDIANAPOLIS — A judge convicted an Indianapolis man of child molesting, kidnapping and criminal confinement after an 11-year-old girl said she was sexually assaulted at a park on the city's near east side in August 2022.
The conviction against 52-year-old James Howard Jr. came after a three-day trial. He will be sentenced Monday, Sept. 25 at 1 p.m.
On Aug. 16, 2022, IMPD officers responded to a report of an alleged assault at the Legacy Park of Hope, located in the 3300 block of Forest Manor Avenue, near East 34th Street and North Sherman Drive.
According to court documents, an 11-year-old girl said she went to the park that day around 5:40 p.m. The girl told police she was sitting on a bench watching Netflix on her phone when a man, later identified as Howard, left the bench he was sitting on and grabbed her from behind. She said he put a rag in her mouth and pulled her over to a wooded area where he assaulted her.
The girl told police she kept kicking and pushing the man until he left. She then went and found her phone and called police.
Police came across Howard while canvassing the area the next day. Howard matched the description of the suspect and told police "he would never do that to a kid."
Howard was wearing a hat with the words "Bad Boy" on it, which matched what the suspect was wearing and was seen in surveillance video from homes in the area. He also had an orange phone, which was described by the victim, along with a black rag, which matched what the girl said the man put in her mouth.
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office said the Victim and Witness Assistance Program funds played an essential role in Howard's prosecution.
Special victim prosecutors flew the victim back to Indianapolis on Aug. 27 to testify during Howard's trial. She was then escorted back to her out-of-state home after the guilty verdict was reached.
"The young survivor in this case has repeatedly shown admirable courage throughout this extremely difficult process. Her testimony ultimately put law enforcement and prosecutors in a position to ensure that the defendant cannot harm others in our community," Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said. "This case demonstrates our trial teams’ willingness to go above and beyond to secure justice on behalf of victims and their families."
