INDIANAPOLIS (WISH)— An Indianapolis man has been convicted of child molesting after a teenage family member disclosed the abuse years after she said it happened. Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced Thursday that James Kimes was convicted of child molesting, a Level 4 felony, follow ing a one-day bench trial this week. The investigation began after the victim disclosed that she had been abused by a family member approximately four to five years earlier, when she was about 12 or 13 years old. The victim was 17 when she spoke with investigators in July 2025. According to a probable-cause affidavit, the girl told IMPD that Kimes had asked to stay overnight at her family’s Indianapolis home because he had nowhere else to stay. She said she and her brother were up talking with Kimes that night before her brother eventually left the room to go to bed. The girl told investigators that Kimes then moved closer to her and began touching her chest underneath her shirt. According to the affidavit, she pushed him away and told him to stop. She said he continued before eventually stopping. The victim told investigators she was scared and froze during the incident. Her parents told police that they did not learn about the alleged abuse until sometime later. According to the affidavit, the victim initially did not want to report what happened or go through the process of discussing it with police. The case eventually came to the attention of IMPD after the victim disclosed the abuse years later. Detective Kolin Kinder was assigned to the investigation in July 2025. Investigators conducted a forensic interview with the victim at the Child Advocacy Center and subsequently worked to locate Kimes. The affidavit says police initially had difficulty finding him and made multiple attempts to locate him in August 2025. Kimes was ultimately prosecuted in Marion County and convicted this week following the one-day bench trial. Because it was a bench trial, a judge—not a jury—heard the evidence and determined that Kimes was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Kimes was convicted of Level 4 felony child molesting. ...read more read less