A McCordsville man is facing a felony charge and a misdemeanor charge after court documents allege he groped and exposed himself to a 17-year-old coworker at a Greenfield fast food restaurant in June. Roman Morales was charged with one count of sexual battery, a Level 6 felony, and one misdemeanor count of public nudity, according to court records.
What Court Documents Allege Happened
According to Fox 59, the Greenfield Police Department was dispatched to a reported harassment call at the restaurant on June 18, after a 17-year-old employee claimed a coworker had inappropriately touched her while she was at work. Court documents state that, on multiple occasions during the day, Morales reportedly grabbed the teen by the neck, grabbed her thigh, and tried to kiss her. Later, as the teen was leaving and near Morales's vehicle, Morales reportedly reached inside the teen's shirt and groped her and again tried to kiss her. The teen reportedly pulled herself away from him, and court documents also allege that he exposed himself to her and told her to come over to his vehicle.
Under Indiana Code § 35-42-4-8, sexual battery is defined as touching another person's genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast with intent to arouse or satisfy sexual desires when the victim is compelled by force or threat of force, or is unaware the touching is occurring, according to Justia Law. Separately, Indiana Code § 35-45-4-1.5 makes it a Class B misdemeanor to knowingly appear in a public place in a state of nudity with intent to be seen by another person, a violation punishable by up to 180 days in jail and fines up to $1,000, per FindLaw.
Morales Denies the Allegations
Court documents indicate Morales denied all of the allegations against him. He said at no point during the shift did he ever touch her, and he denied asking the teen to be his “f*** buddies.” Morales also claimed the teen made the allegations because she was mad at him, per the same court records cited in the station's report.
Morales is currently out on probation stemming from recent charges in Madison County, according to court documents. That existing status carries its own legal weight independent of the outcome of the Hancock County case. The case may also involve a probation-revocation proceeding while the new charge is pending, according to Harwell Legal Counsel.
What Morales Could Face If Convicted
A Level 6 felony in Indiana carries a sentencing range of six months to two-and-a-half years. The misdemeanor public nudity charge is in addition to the Level 6 felony. Notably, individuals sentenced on a Level 6 felony conviction in Indiana generally serve any executed time in county jail rather than state prison, unless specific statutory exceptions apply, according to the Gibson Law Office.
Morales has a $1,500 cash bond in the Hancock County case and a pretrial conference scheduled for November 16, court records show.
A Pattern Federal Regulators Have Flagged
The allegations against Morales land amid what federal regulators describe as a persistent problem in the fast-food industry. More workplace sexual harassment charges are filed in the restaurant and food-service sector than in any other private industry nationwide, according to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission data cited by Seyfarth Shaw LLP. The EEOC has specifically flagged teenage restaurant workers as a high-vulnerability demographic, pursuing targeted enforcement actions against fast-food franchisees accused of failing to protect underage staff from co-worker and supervisor harassment.
The scale of the issue has also been examined in workplace sexual harassment research. A separate survey from Hart Research Associates found that 40% of women working in fast food reported facing unwanted sexual behavior on the job, including physical groping and suggestive comments, as reported by The Washington Post.
