Accused child molester arrested on new charges involving child porn

A Switz City man already charged with felonies involving child molestation and vicarious sexual gratification in front of a small child, was arrested Thursday afternoon on new allegations of possession of child pornography involving photographs of a local female.

Tyson Graves

Tyson Cole Graves, 22, Switz City, was booked in to the Greene County Jail around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, September 13, by Det. Sgt. James O’Malley of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department.

Graves was first arrested by O’Malley back on July 17, then charged with child molesting involving fondling or touching with a child under the age of 14, a Level 4 felony, and performing sexual conduct in the presence of a minor, a Level 6 felony.

As part of the ongoing investigation into that case, a forensic examination of a cell phone that belonged to Graves was conducted.

O’Malley reports that numerous pornographic photographs were found of a local, underage female.

When Graves was interviewed in August about the pictures, he told the detective the teen female had dated one of his friends and he’d known her for a couple of years. He allegedly said he received the pictures from her several months earlier and that he thought she was older than what O’Malley said was her actual age at the time the pictures were taken.

The female in the pictures was interviewed later in August at Susie’s Place in Bloomington. Those present for the interview included O’Malley, Greene County Child Services Case Manager Camelia Seaman and the mother of the female.

According to O’Malley, the teen admitted the pictures were taken of her but she didn’t know how they got on Graves’s cell phone. She said she had shown them to her boyfriend but she didn’t think he would give them to Graves. She said she didn’t give them to Graves.

The evidence list in this case includes 13 nude photos of the female, showing various private body parts and body areas that would be considered inappropriate/pornographic photos of an underage person.

When Graves were first arrested in July, court records showed him with a home address in Lyons, but jail records showed his address at that time was on Meadowview Lane in Switz City. Currently, as of this latest arrest, both court and jail records show Graves with a home address on West County Road 60 North, Switz City.

After his first arrest, his bond was set at $19,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. He did not bond out right away. During his initial hearing in Greene Superior Court, he was determined to be eligible for “indigent counsel appointed at county expense” and Greene County Public Defender Alan Baughman was appointed to represent him.

A few days later, the defense filed a motion to reduce the amount of bond. That motion was denied by Judge Dena Martin, but later in August, he did post a $1,900 cash bond and was released.

A pre-trial conference was scheduled to take place this past Monday but the defense requested a continuance and it’s been re-set for late November.

In the newest case, Graves is being held on a bond of $4,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. As of mid-day Friday, Graves had not posted bond.

Graves will now be scheduled to appear in court for an initial hearing when he will be formally charged with possession of child pornography, a Level 6 felony.