Staff Report

NAPPANEE — A Nappanee man was recently arrested in Elkhart County after molesting and raping a child.

Jason Michael Campbell, 45, 558 W. Walnut St., Nappanee, is charged with child molesting, a class A felony; rape, a level 3 felony; sexual misconduct with a minor, a level 4 felony; and child molesting, a class C felony.

According to police reports filed by Nappanee Police officers, Campbell engaged in inappropriate conduct with a child in Nappanee between June 2011 and March 2017.

On Oct. 8, 2019, the Nappanee Police Department initiated an investigation after being notified by the Indiana Department of Child Services that a child had reported being molested by Campbell on several occasions.

During a forensic interview, the child indicated they were terrified of Campbell and feared he would come after them since a report had been made. The child described three incidents that took place.

In the first incident, Campbell touched the child inappropriately and made the child touch him inappropriately. In the second incident, Campbell became angry when the child did not do the dishes. He then had sexual intercourse with the child and did not stop, despite the child screaming for him to stop.

During the third incident, Campbell had sexual intercourse with the child again. After that incident, the child went to the emergency room for treatment.

Campbell was booked in the Elkhart County Corrections Facility on June 15, with a $145,000 bond.