A guy was apprehended after a “good touch, bad touch” presentation at a grade school in Bartholomew County prompted charges of molestation against a girl who was allegedly “playing doctor.”
Two counts of criminal child molestation were filed against 61-year-old Columbus man Terry R. Cheek last week following his arrest. A young kid reported Cheek after an enlightening lecture he gave at her school, leading to the charges against him.
Legal records reveal that in December of last year, a speaker visited the Columbus school where the youngster attended to teach the class about “good touch/bad touch,” the distinction between acceptable and inappropriate physical contact between adults.
A 10-year-old girl allegedly went to the class teacher afterward to claim that a man had touched her in her “bathing suit” parts. At the age of six, she claimed the man touched her privates and invited her to “play doctor.” His motive was unclear.
As soon as the victim told the authorities that the man was Cheek, she went on to detail an unrelated event that had happened not long ago. According to the girl, she was in Cheek’s company when he pinned her to him, scolded her, caressed her breasts, and ran his fingers over the seams of her jeans.
Cheek had before referred to the groping encounters as “our little secret,” according to the victim, who testified before child specialists and the police. The victim expressed her views about the touching by saying, “This is not right at all” and adding that she felt unsafe in Cheek’s presence.
“If Victim 1 told anyone, Terry would simply accuse her of lying,” he said. legal documents read. Terry threatened to “contact the authorities” and report that Victim 1’s mother had harmed her, according to the statement.
According to court records, Cheek informed Child Services that he would not participate in an interview despite repeated attempts by the police and DCS to reach him. A lawyer, he added, will be hired as per Fox59.
The Columbus Police Department requested that he be charged with child molestation in Bartholomew County, and DCS quickly marked the allegation as substantiated. Cheek was apprehended and lodged in the prison system after a warrant was issued for his arrest. On Friday afternoon, he will have his first hearing.