GOSHEN, IN (WTVB) – Coldwater Police have arrested an Indiana man for an alleged computer sex crime involving a 14-year old girl. The suspect from Goshen, Indiana was taken into custody Monday by City Police in his home state at the Elkhart County Jail. 24-year old Ryan Graber was arraigned yesterday in Branch County District Court on 5 counts, including 3 counts of third degree criminal sexual conduct. He was also charged with using a computer in the commission of a crime and child accosting for immoral purposes.
According to police, Graber got acquainted with the victim through an on-line dating app this year in March when they began to share explicit photos. Police said in the spring they started to meet at a motel in Coldwater with Graber admitting during an interview with Goshen and City Police to just one meet and greet with the teenager and confessing he was aware of how old she was. The victim had been living in Coldwater with her grandmother, who called police in July to report the girl missing after the woman found the teen’s cell phone in the house. Authorities said a forensic exam of the phone led them to Graber, who used a number of aliases which added several months to the investigation before it could be completed with the suspect’s arrest in Goshen last week on November 2nd.
Graber is being held on a $100,000 cash or surety bond and is due back in court for a probable cause hearing on November 14th.
