A former Indiana fire chief is facing a fresh round of child sex crime charges, and the woman who says he abused her as a teenager is now speaking out publicly. The allegations stretch back to 2012, when Arika Palmer was 14 and Roger Kemp was serving as a public official in Brown County.
Kemp, the former chief of the Gregg Township Volunteer Fire Department, is charged with sexual misconduct with a minor, multiple counts of child exploitation and vicarious sexual gratification, according to Fox 59. Prosecutor Ted Adams told the outlet that newly uncovered evidence allowed the state to move forward on allegations that might otherwise have been too old to prosecute.
Palmer, now 28 and living in Nashville, told the station that Kemp engaged in sexual conduct with her several times before she turned 16. She also said Kemp convinced her that no one would believe her accusations because he was an important public official.
Kemp Quit Volunteer Post After February Arrest
Kemp was first charged in February with possession of child sexual abuse material in Bartholomew County, according to WBIW. The Gregg Township Fire Department said he resigned from the volunteer department on February 5, after he had already been removed from his leadership role.
Following Kemp’s resignation, the department said it went through a complete organizational restructuring. In an earlier statement reported by WBIW, officials stressed that emergency operations would continue under new leadership and emphasized that the department remained committed to serving residents of the township.
Two Jury Trials Set in Separate Counties This Fall
Kemp is scheduled for a jury trial in Bartholomew County on September 8 and another in Brown County beginning September 22, according to Fox 59. The separate court dates line up with the different sets of allegations and the two counties involved.
The charges are accusations at this point, and Kemp is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court. Palmer’s decision to speak publicly adds a human face to a case that started with a digital evidence investigation and has widened to include claims about conduct from more than a decade ago.
