A woman’s decision to go to the police, after a 39-year-old Linton woman told her she was having sexual encounters with a juvenile, caused swift action by police officers. A fast-moving investigation, involving numerous interviews over the course of one day, resulted in the arrest of the suspect last night. She’s being held on a $75,000 bond and is facing five counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, all Level 5 felonies.

Jeri Sue Henico, 39, Linton, was arrested by Detective Paul Clark of the Linton Police Department last night, Thursday, August 23. Henico was booked in around 8 p.m. to the Greene County Jail where her bond was set at $75,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. It would take $7,500 cash for her to be released.

Greene County Prosecutor Jarrod Holtsclaw then filed a criminal case against Henico early Friday morning in Greene Circuit Court.

As lead investigator, Det. Clark prepared the affidavit to establish probable cause, detailing the findings of the investigation and various interviews. However, Clark noted in the affidavit that he was summarizing and the actual interviews had revealed many more details about the incidents that would not be included in the affidavit.

Officers from the Linton Police Department and the Jasonville Police Department, and the Linton-Stockton School Resource Officer were involved in this investigation.

Det. Clark said the investigation started when a woman went in to the Jasonville Police Department and told JPD Sgt. Brian Pilant she had become aware that an adult female was involved in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old juvenile. The woman provided the name of the adult, the name of the juvenile, said this was occurring in Linton, and said the suspect had told her about sexual interactions.

Sgt. Pilant contacted LPD Officer Duane Collenbaugh, Det. Clark was called in and L-S School Resource Officer Josh Goodman became involved.

Officers Goodman and Collenbaugh interviewed the alleged juvenile victim and the victim’s sibling yesterday, Thursday, August 23. The information from these interviews confirmed the accusation and also corroborated information obtained in a later interview with Henico.

Det. Clark explained there are numerous types of evidence that can be recovered from a crime scene of this nature, so he requested and was granted a search warrant for Henico’s home.

When the search warrant was executed yesterday, Henico was there, was taken into custody and transported to the Linton Police Department for an interview after she was advised of her Miranda rights and agreed to talk to the detective.

Clark’s interview with Henico was audio and video recorded.

At first, Henico denied having any idea about why police were searching her house or wanting to interview her. Clark said he confronted her and told her she did, in fact, know what the police were doing and why. He said she then indicated that she did know and she proceeded to provide details, admitting that the sexual encounters had taken place.

According to Clark, Henico told him the victim was a friend of her own child and that she was aware their age was 14. Further, she told Clark the encounters involved intercourse with penetration and no protection had been used.

Clark reported Henico described five different occurrences and provided specific or approximate dates of the incidents. The first occurred on or around June 23 and the fifth and most recent was on Wednesday, August 22, the night before the interview and her arrest.

According to the affidavit, Henico told Det. Clark that during the latest incident, her children had fallen asleep on the floor beside her bed and that the incident occurred on her bed while the other children slept.

He also reported that Henico said all clothing worn by her and the victim during the latest encounter had been washed the next day which was the day of her interview and arrest.

After the criminal case was filed in Greene Circuit Court, the charges were approved by Judge Eric Allen before 11 a.m. on Friday.

Henico is scheduled to appear before Judge Allen for her initial hearing on Monday at 11:30 a.m.