A Solsberry man, who has lived in several other locations in Greene County, was arrested yesterday following a GCSD investigation. Today in Greene Circuit Court, he was charged with child molesting.

Randy J.B. Harris, aka Randy Joe Bruce Harris, 23, Solsberry, was arrested by Detective David Elmore of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department yesterday, Monday, March 29, on a warrant that was issued for Harris’s arrest last Thursday, March 25. Harris was booked into the Greene County Jail at 1:06 p.m.

Det. Elmore has been investigating a report of child molesting since mid-January when he was contacted by the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS). A child had been taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital Emergency Department after their parent reported an incident and was advised to take the child there for a medical exam. Later the child was taken to Susie’s Place in Terre Haute for a forensic interview that was audio and video recorded.

Harris is accused of touching the child in an inappropriate sexual manner. Harris is listed with a Solsberry address but the incident allegedly took place when Harris was living with a family member in another location. During interviews, Harris said he had lived in Midland, Bloomfield and Linton.

When Det. Elmore interviewed Harris, he denied touching the child in a sexual manner but when asked if he’d ever been accused of something like this before, he said yes, when he was a juvenile. He also said he had received counseling at Hamilton Center from the time he was five until he was 17-years-old.

Det. Elmore asked Harris if he would be willing to take a polygraph exam. Harris agreed and the exam was conducted on March 5 with ISP Sgt. Dan Gress at the ISP Jasper post.

On the day of the polygraph, Sgt. Gress reported to Det. Elmore that Harris had failed the polygraph. During the exam, Harris first denied the allegation then admitted it and said he didn’t want to get in trouble. When pressed to explain what had happened, Harris allegedly admitted an incident occurred when he was living in Linton and he demonstrated to Sgt. Gress how he had fondled the child.

After the findings of Det. Elmore’s investigation were submitted to the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office, Prosecutor Jarrod Holtsclaw filed a criminal case against Harris last week in Greene Circuit Court and the case was sealed. An arrest warrant was issued and the seal was lifted after Harris was taken into custody.

Earlier this afternoon, Tuesday, March 30, when Harris appeared in Greene Circuit Court for his initial hearing, he was charged with child molestation - fondling or touching with child under the age of 14, a Level 4 felony.

A public defender was appointed to represent Harris and his bond was set at $15,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. As of late Tuesday afternoon, Harris had not yet posted bond.