Koop

A 57-year-old Jackson County man faces 20 felony charges related to an investigation into reports he molested three children over a period of years two decades ago, police report.

Max Koop of Brownstown was arrested Wednesday evening on a warrant issued by Jackson Circuit Court Judge Richard W. Poynter.

The warrant charges Koop with 10 Class A felony counts of child molesting; eight Class C felony counts of child molesting; a Class D felony count of intimidation; and a Level 5 felony count of sexual misconduct with a minor.

Lt. C.J. Foster with the Seymour Police Department said Thursday morning that the incidents leading to the charges occurred over a number of years in the mid- to late 1990s at residences in the Brownstown and Seymour areas.

The investigation started in June of this year when one of the three children, who is now an adult, spoke with a Seymour officer about the incidents, according to the probable cause affidavit. Police then interviewed the other two children, who also are adults.

During an interview with police, Koop denied doing anything to the children, but he did fail a voice stress exam, according to court records.

Koop was booked into the Jackson County Jail in Brownstown at 7:47 p.m. Wednesday and was being held without bond pending his initial hearing in Jackson Circuit Court.

The Class A, C and D felony counts all allegedly occurred July 1, 2014, when the Indiana Criminal Code’s punishment scale change to Level 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 felonies. A Class A felony conviction for a crime committed before July 1, 2014, calls for a fixed prison term of between 20 and 50 years.

There is no statute of limitations on child molesting for Class A felonies as long as the charges are filed before the victim or victims’ 31st birthday, Jackson County Prosecutor Jeff Chalfant said.