Police arrest Hardinsburg man on child molestation charges

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ind. — Police have arrested a Hardinsburg man on multiple child molestation charges.

According to a press release, 31-year-old Michael Allen Richardson was taken into custody after an Indiana State Police investigation. ISP began looking into Richardson’s activity last Friday.

A report from an employee at a Harrison County school triggered the investigation. The employee alleged a student at the school may have been abused.

The Indiana Department of Child Services was also involved with the case, working alongside state police. Law enforcement’s investigation included a sexual assault forensic examination at a local hospital.

After receiving a warrant on Tuesday, ISP detectives and other investigators searched Richardson’s home and detained him. Richardson was subsequently transported to the Washington County Jail in Salem without incident, per state police.

Richardson has been preliminarily charged with two counts of child molestation. One of the child molestation charges is a Level 1 Felony and the other is a Level 4 Felony.

Richardson has also been charged with incest, a Level 4 Felony, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a Level 5 Felony.

The maximum penalty for a Level 1 Felony in Indiana is a 40-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $10,000.

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