Anderson police have arrested 60-year-old Jody Patterson after a 13-year-old girl told investigators he sexually abused her over a period of years, starting when she was in elementary school. Patterson, identified in reports as the stepfather of reality TV figure Gary Shirley, is facing four counts of child molesting, including two charged as Level 1 felonies. Police opened the case after the teenager came forward on January 19, saying the abuse began when she was about eight and continued until shortly before her 12th birthday.
Allegations And Criminal Counts
According to WXIN (FOX59), prosecutors have filed two counts of child molesting as Level 4 felonies and two counts as Level 1 felonies. The girl told investigators Patterson would make her sleep on the couch with him while other siblings were sent to a guest room, and that the alleged abuse began when she was about eight years old. She also told police Patterson warned her, “I’ll make sure that you get in really big trouble” if she disclosed what was happening, according to the station’s reporting.
Shirley first became a familiar name to national audiences on MTV’s early Teen Mom programming as the on-screen partner of Amber Portwood, and he has remained a public figure with ties to Anderson. People and other outlets have continued to follow Shirley’s life and family since the franchise launched, which helps explain why an otherwise local arrest in a small Indiana community is now drawing national attention.
Documents reviewed by local reporters indicate Patterson previously entered a civil plea arrangement in a child-support dispute and was ordered to pay $18,974 as of April 30, 2001, a detail reported by WKRC Local 12. So far, local coverage does not list a public arraignment date or full court calendar for the current criminal case, and authorities have not gone beyond the basic facts outlined in those reports.
How Indiana Treats Child Molesting Charges
Indiana’s child-molesting statute creates several levels of offense. Under state law, sexual intercourse or other sexual conduct with a child under 14 can be charged as a Level 1 felony when the accused is an adult, while conduct involving fondling or touching is generally prosecuted as a Level 4 felony. The statutory language and sentencing ranges are detailed in Justia. Sentences depend on the level of conviction and case specifics: Level 1 child-molesting convictions can bring decades-long prison terms, while Level 4 felonies typically carry shorter multi-year sentences.
This remains a developing case. The local outlets that first reported the arrest say investigators and prosecutors are still reviewing the file, and additional details are expected to surface as new court documents or official statements become public.
