Feb. 17—RUSHVILLE — Kenneth Barrow, 77, was convicted by a Rush County jury last week for child molesting, a Class A Felony; child molesting, a Class C Felony; child solicitation, a Class D felony; and fondling in the presence of a minor, a Class D Felony.

Charges were filed in 2021 against Barrow for crimes that occurred between 1997 and 2005.

According to Rush County Prosecutor Phil Caviness, these types of sex offenses can be filed anytime up until the victim turns 31 years of age. In this case, the charges were filed when the victim was 28 years old.

The victim testified about what Barrow, her step-grandfather, did to her from the ages of four until 12. The victim reported these incidents to police in 2005, but no charges followed back then.

Detective Caitlin Herbert of the Rushville Police Department testified that she began investigating this matter in 2021, and found that a report had been made in 2005 but the report could not be retrieved due to a system crash. Efforts to obtain records through the software provider and other agencies did not uncover any reports of any kind.

Caviness said the victim made the case prosecutable due to her ability to speak in detail about what Barrow did to her.

“The victim told on Barrow in 2005 and stopped his sexual abuse of her, and now she told the jury and stopped him for good,” Caviness said.

The prosecutor also noted that these cases are always difficult when they involve children who may have difficulty testifying in a courtroom full of strangers and their abuser, and having an articulate adult testify about the victimization made this case stronger.

Barrow was ordered to be held in the Rush County Jail while awaiting sentencing. He faces a trial in Marion County, currently set for Feb. 26, 2024, for child molesting charges involving a different alleged victim.

-Information provided

Contact Aaron Kirchoff at aaron.kirchoff@greensburgdailynews.com.