Man accused of raping child relative

Published 4:54 pm Thursday, September 8, 2016

Carmen Jared Cherry

A 19-year-old Bowling Green man accused of molesting a child relative was served Thursday with an indictment warrant on charges of incest, second-degree rape, second-degree sodomy, first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor.

Carmen Jared “C.J.” Cherry, 19, 195 Ora Huff Road, was served with the indictment warrant at the Warren County Regional jail where he has been held since initially being charged in July.

The alleged victim told a forensic interviewer at the Barren River Area Child Advocacy Center that Cherry sexually assaulted her multiple times over the span of a few years when she and her family visited his home, according to Warren County Sheriff’s Office records. She said he threatened that he would not let her out of the room unless she did what he wanted her to do.

The girl also told the interviewer that Cherry told her if she disclosed what happened, he would tell others that she asked him to perform sex acts, records show.

During an interview with sheriff’s office investigators Cherry said he asked the girl during a visit in June if she wanted to engage in sex and she said she didn’t care, according to records. He told investigators that he spoke with the girl the following day, they discussed what happened and he apologized, records show.

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The child’s parents told investigators that the child disclosed that the first incident occurred just before she began fourth grade and the incidents occurred when others were sleeping, according to sheriff’s office records. She told her parents that Cherry threatened to hurt her if she didn’t comply and she acted like she was asleep when she was assaulted, records show.

Cherry is being held in lieu of a $25,000 cash bond. As a condition of his bond, he is to have no contact with the alleged victim, according to the indictment warrant.

— Follow assistant city editor Deborah Highland on Twitter at twitter.com/bgdnnewseditor or visit bgdailynews.com.