An 18-year-old man from St. Joseph, Missouri, has been arrested and charged with 15 counts of sex offenses involving a 12-year-old female in Owensboro, according to the Owensboro Police Department.
According to a release, at approximately 6:48 a.m. Wednesday, OPD officers responded to the 900 block of Graves Street in reference to a suspicious circumstances complaint.
“Officers located a male subject sleeping inside a vacant residence. Officers determined the male subject had traveled to Owensboro from Missouri to meet a female subject he had communicated with online. During the course of the officer’s investigation, it was revealed the male suspect had engaged in multiple sexual acts with the female subject. Officers determined the female was 12 years old,” according to the release.
Detectives from the OPD Criminal Investigations Division responded to the scene and conducted interviews before obtaining and executing a search warrant to collect evidence.
Caleb Newell was arrested and lodged at the Daviess County Detention Center (his mug shot was not yet available at the time of publication) on the following charges:
• Sodomy, 2nd Degree (11 Counts)
• Rape, 2nd Degree (4 Counts)
Regarding the initial Suspicious Circumstances complaint, Newell was also charged by the OPD Patrol Division with the following:
• Criminal Trespassing, 1st Degree
• Giving Officer False Name
Anyone with additional information can call OPD at 270-687-8888, or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 270-687-8484.
