A judge has decided the third of six Mishawaka High School wrestlers accused of sexually assaulting a teammate is guilty.
A spokesperson with the St. Joseph County Prosecutors Office says the 2010 crime, when committed by an adult, constitutes Attempted Criminal Deviate Conduct – a Class B felony.
But he was tried as a juvenile since he was a minor when the incident happened. In juvenile court, he's now considered an "adjudicated delinquent" since the judge says he committed the crime...it's the same thing as being guilty in adult court.
This makes two who have been found guilty and one who pleaded guilty so far. Three more teens have yet to go to trial.
The boys are accused of forcibly holding down the victim and sexually assaulting him in 2010.
The victim says he yelled "stop" two or three times while the assault was happening. He also said the teammates who were assaulting him were laughing while it happened...but he was crying.
According to court documents, the teen found guilty on Thursday was accused of vocally encouraging the assault as it was taking place. It could not be proven that he helped hold the victim down.
