An 18-year-old woman’s desperate text to 911 during a late-night drive home has landed a Marion-area man in jail on multiple felony charges. Investigators say the woman, described in reports as homeless, told deputies that 34-year-old Dale E. Bosworth raped her inside a barn near Gaston, Indiana after the two connected on Facebook and he offered her a ride back to Marion. Authorities say they intercepted Bosworth’s vehicle shortly after the message came in, and he is now facing several serious counts tied to the alleged assault.
What court records say
Court documents reviewed by WXIN state that on May 24 Bosworth picked the woman up in Kokomo and brought her to his home. According to those records, he later offered her $100 to do work at a barn in Delaware County and drove her to a friend’s barn in Gaston. Once there, he allegedly asked if she wanted to “fool around” and began removing clothing. During the return trip to Marion, the woman used the Texty app to quietly contact Grant County 911, reporting that she had been raped. Dispatchers in Grant County then notified Delaware County deputies, who located and stopped Bosworth’s vehicle, according to the filing.
Arrest and charges
According to WKRC Local 12, Bosworth was arrested and booked into the Delaware County Jail, where he is being held without bond. Authorities have charged him with rape, obstruction of justice and false informing, among other counts. Investigators say he initially gave statements that did not line up with one another, then later acknowledged parts of what the woman alleged while continuing to deny full sexual contact.
Legal process
Per reporting by FOX59, prosecutors are expected to rely heavily on the woman’s 911 text messages, along with Bosworth’s statements to law enforcement, as the case moves through Delaware County courts. A specific initial court date had not been listed in the reports, and officials say the investigation remains active. As with all criminal cases, the charges are allegations, and Bosworth is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.
