DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT RELEASES STATEMENT ON ALLEGED SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE WHICH HAS RESULTED IN RUMORS AND FALSE INFORMATION BEING SPREAD IN THE COMMUNITY

The following statement was released by the Decatur Police Department regarding an alleged sexual assault case due to rumors and false information circulating in the community and beyond:

On 5/20/2021, the Decatur Police Department received a complaint from an individual alleging sexual assault that had occurred over 10 years ago by a subject known to them. The case was assigned to a detective and an investigation into the allegations immediately commenced. The investigation has involved serving multiple search warrants at different locations seeking evidence of the allegations. At this time, no other individuals have been named or identified as being involved in this allegation or other criminal misconduct. This case is complex and involves significant man-hours to ensure a thorough investigation. It is unknown how long this investigation will take to complete.

The Decatur Police Department does not typically comment on sexual abuse or sexual assault cases. Doing so can risk further trauma to the victim and also jeopardize the investigation. However, this case has become a focus of rumors and false information within the larger public realm. As such, the department feels it necessary to make a statement. For example, a rumor circulating social media regarding police finding children locked in a storage shed is completely false. In addition, allegations of other citizens of the area being involved in this investigation are false. These types of rumors are dangerous and can shatter lives and reputations, and potentially jeopardize the investigation.

I encourage the public to allow this investigation to continue without such false and dangerous information being spread. The Decatur Police Department will make further comments as this case continues and information is able to be released to the public.