An Lansing man faces multiple sexual assault charges after he was recently found in the company of an underage girl in a tent on the Indiana Dunes National Park campground.
Raul Rodriguez Ramirez, 27, of Lansing, Illinois, is charged with two Level 1 felony counts of molesting a child younger than 14, one Level 4 felony charge of molesting a child younger than 14, and a Level 5 felony of child exploitation.
One of the charges alleges that Ramirez had sexual intercourse with the 13-year-old girl, which was recorded on cellphone video, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Porter County Superior Court.
Chesterton Police Detectives Cpl. Arwen LaMotte and Sgt. Justin Frever arrested Ramirez at the campground on Thursday. They were there because they learned of the possibility that Ramirez and the girl had been at the campground.
LaMotte stated in her affidavit that she looked through an open tent window and saw Ramirez and the 13-year-old girl sleeping together.
Detectives had been made aware on April 22 by the Department of Child Services about an allegation of child abuse involving Ramirez and the girl. The mother and daughter were supposedly homeless and had been staying at a campground somewhere in Chesterton.
On April 24, LaMotte interviewed the girl and her mother in Cedar Lake, and they both “adamantly denied the allegations.”
But then LaMotte and Frever went to the campground Thursday evening and made their discovery.
During an interview, Ramirez stated that he and the alleged victim were in a “boyfriend and girlfriend relationship” and that he kissed her and slept with her, the court record said.
The girl admitted to police that she kissed Ramirez on one occasion.
The next day, Ramirez granted LaMotte permission to examine his cellphone and the detective discovered a pornographic video. LaMotte was able to identify Ramirez and the girl engaging in intimate sexual activity, the court record says.
It also was apparent that the incident recorded on April 30 occurred in a tent.
Chesterton Police Chief Tim Richardson said the investigation is continuing.
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
