Two inmates at the Parke County Jail are now facing fresh felony counts after a fellow prisoner reported being sexually assaulted inside the lockup on Wednesday, prompting an internal alert from corrections officers and a swift investigation by deputies, according to WTHR.
Deputies identified the suspects as 20-year-old Austin Schlee of Rockville and 25-year-old Jose Paniagua of Kingman. Both men were already in custody on unrelated charges when the alleged attack came to light and remain jailed on those earlier counts. Prosecutors filed new sexual-battery charges in Parke Circuit Court on Thursday, and each man is now being held on an additional $10,000 bond tied to the latest case, WTHR reported.
The Parke County Sheriff’s Office said jail corrections officers notified deputies on Wednesday, triggering the investigation. Detectives then named Schlee and Paniagua as suspects and sought sexual battery charges, classified as a Level 6 felony under Indiana law. The sheriff’s office said the pair were formally charged on Thursday in Parke Circuit Court and are being held on the new counts in addition to their earlier cases, according to the Parke County Sheriff's Office.
Charges and what they mean
Schlee and Paniagua are each charged with sexual battery as a Level 6 felony, which is the lowest felony tier in Indiana. Even at the bottom of the scale, the potential punishment is not minor. State law sets a fixed sentencing range of six months to two and one-half years in prison, with an advisory sentence of one year. Judges can also impose fines under Indiana’s sentencing rules. The range for Level 6 felonies is spelled out in the Indiana Code.
What's next
For now, both men remain in the Parke County Jail on the new sexual-battery counts while their unrelated cases continue through Parke Circuit Court. Deputies say the investigation into the reported assault is still active, and the Parke County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information about the case to contact the department.
