After a four-month investigation, a former Jennings County man was arrested Wednesday on felony charges of child molestation in Seymour.

Paul D. Collett, 69, is preliminary charged with child molesting, Level 1 felony, and another preliminary charge of child molesting, Level 4 felony.

The investigation lead by Detective Ian McPherson with the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department started in April when investigators were contacted by the Indiana Department of Child Services after receiving a report of possible child molesting involving Collett.

After a thorough investigation it was found that Collett had engaged in the molestation of a juvenile female family member over the last six years, according to a news release from the sheriff’s department..

At the conclusion of the investigation, McPherson presented the case to Jennings County Prosecutor Brian Belding for review. Judge Murielle S. Bright of the Jennings County Circuit Court then issued an arrest warrant for Collett.

Investigators from the Seymour Police Department located Collett at a residence in Seymour, and he was booked into the Jennings County Jail pending an initial hearing in the Jennings Circuit Court.

“The safety and well-being of the children will remain our utmost priority,” said Chief Deputy Cody Lows with the sheriff’s department. “A case such as this demonstrates the perseverance and dedication that the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office will continue to have for our most vulnerable members of our community, the children.”

McPherson was assisted by personnel with the Indiana Department of Child Services, Seymour Police Department’s investigation division and the Jennings County Prosecutor’s Office.