ANDERSON, Ind. —
A teenager accused of raping an 11-year-old girl had his initial hearing Monday afternoon through Madison Circuit Court’s video court.
Victor M. Perez, 17, is charged with rape, criminal deviant conduct and child molestation, all Class B felonies that carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if he’s convicted.
A non-citizen from Guatemala, Perez cannot speak English and had to have an interpreter present for his hearing under Judge Stephen Clase.
He is accused of raping the daughter of the family he was staying with and is being charged as an adult in the case.
His charges all stem from the same alleged incident, in which the girl described going to Perez’s room to watch a DVD when he pulled her into his bed and forced himself upon her, according to the probable cause affidavit.
According to the affidavit, the incident is believed to have occurred some time in the month of September.
The girl’s mother discovered what happened when she confronted her daughter about her change in behavior, the police report said.
The girl described the incident in detail to police and Perez was arrested at Anderson High School on Friday, according to the report.
Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings said Perez is in the U.S. to attend school at Anderson High School and had been staying with the family since April.
Whether he was with the family under a sanctioned student exchange program has not yet been determined, he added.
Madison Circuit Court 3 Judge Thomas Newman Jr. appointed Anderson attorney Steve Smith to act as a guardian for Perez because he has no family available, Cummings said.
His bond has been set at $20,000, full cash only. Clase said Perez is considered a flight risk because he is an illegal immigrant who has no ties to the community.
Perez told Clase that he has immigrant court in Chicago in 2014. Whether he is convicted or not, Cummings said he will still have to face that court.
The court and date for Perez’s criminal trial has not yet been determined.
Reporter Dani Palmer contributed to this report.
Local News
Teenager accused of rape faces initial hearing in adult court
- Local News
-
-
Willowcrest Park ‘first of its kind’
A vision Rob Loose conceived 11 years ago became reality Friday.
Loose, the president of Loose Funeral Homes and Crematory, christened The Gardens at Willowcrest Park, the state’s first stand-alone cremation garden. Loose and his wife Jane hosted the opening ceremony behind the funeral home and next to the new garden. -
Anderson man charged with sexual battery
A suspect was in custody Friday night after he was accused of sexually touching a woman while she was sleeping early Friday morning.
-
Man in serious condition after car accident near Frankton
An Elwood man is in serious condition at an Indianapolis hospital tonight after being airlifted this morning to an Indianapolis hospital following an accident that ejected him from his vehicle.
-
Arrest log: May 18
Arrests made by Madison County law enforcement on Thursday and Friday, based on Madison County Jail records. Charges are recommended by arresting officers, but are not final until the Madison County prosecutor reviews the case and files official charges.
-
Ravens run into buzzsaw in Round 1 of Div. III Softball World Series
Anderson University's softball team lost its first game of the NCAA Div. III Softball World Series 8-1 to Luther University (Iowa) today in Eau Claire, Wis.
-
Warm, but showers still possible
Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible again today for much of central Indiana, but plenty of dry hours will be mixed in with temperatures hovering around 80 degrees.
-
Poll question for Friday, May 17
Vote daily in The Herald Bulletin poll. Today's poll question can be found at the bottom of the homepage on the right side.
-
Love note: Nothing to hate about truck stop
A detailed presentation by Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores executives about the company’s truck stop plans at Interstate 69 and Indiana 13 Thursday night seemed to calm some — but not all — of the concerns Summerlake residents have about the project.
-
Arrest log: May 17
Arrests made by Madison County law enforcement on Wednesday and Thursday, based on Madison County Jail records. Charges are recommended by arresting officers, but are not final until the Madison County prosecutor reviews the case and files official charges.
-
Stolen Harley-Davidsons valued at more than $100,000
Two vintage Harley-Davidson motorcycles valued at more than $100,000 are back home with their Tipton County owner, although both were altered to disguise their appearance, according to Elwood police.
- More Local News Headlines
-
