Staff Report

James M. Bauer

WARSAW — A Warsaw man was recently arrested after allegedly molesting a child.

James M. Bauer, 67, 640 S. Columbia St., Warsaw, is charged with child molesting, a level 1 felony; and child molesting, a level 4 felony.

On July 16, a Warsaw Police officer spoke with a woman about a molestation report. The woman said that on July 14, she dropped a child off to be watched by Bauer and another woman while she was working.

The woman who reported the molestation said she picked the child back up on the evening of July 15. According to court documents, the child disclosed to the woman that they no longer wished to go back to Bauer’s residence because they had been inappropriately touched.

The child was taken to a sexual assault center for a forensic examination. A nurse examiner found injuries to the child’s genitals in the form of scratches and abrasions. The child then completed a forensic interview.

During the interview, the child said Bauer inappropriately touched them and recalled the details of what happened. The child also told the interviewer they had been physically hurt during the molestation and that Bauer told them to “keep it a secret.”

Bauer was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on July 17, with a $50,250 surety and cash bond.