Staff Report

Jeremy N. Hull

COLUMBIA CITY — A Columbia City man was recently arrested after allegedly having sex with a child.

Jeremy N. Hull, 23, 5454 S. Meridian Road, Columbia City, is charged with three counts of child molesting, all level 1 felonies.

On Sept. 22, the Columbia City Police Department began investigating after a woman reported a child and Hull had engaged in sexual activity.

According to court documents, the woman said she saw a message on the child’s phone about Hull not being able to have sex with the child anymore.

The child told officers they had sexual intercourse with Hull the day before. A forensic examination and interview were then conducted on the child.

In the interview, the child said they engaged in sexual activity with Hull about once a week. They said Hull encouraged them not to tell anyone about what was happening. He also told the child he wanted them to be 18 so they could have a real relationship.

On Sept. 23, officers searched the child’s phone and discovered the child and Hull began talking through Snapchat on June 28.

In an interview with police, Hull explained how he met the child but denied engaging in any type of sexual activity. When asked several times why the child would make something like this up, Hull could not provide a reason and insisted the inappropriate activity never happened.

Hull was booked in the Whitley County Jail on Oct. 6.