A 31-year-old man charged after he allegedly groped a 10-year-old girl

BLACKFOOT — A local man has been charged after a woman reported that he had allegedly sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl.

According to court documents, deputies were dispatched to a residence on Nov. 27 after a woman reported that a sex offense had occurred.

Deputies said that a 31-year-old man, later identified as Reginald Gerald Radford, was downstairs with the 10-year-old girl.

When the reporting party went downstairs, she saw that the man had allegedly placed a pillow on the 10-year-old’s genital area, and his hands were underneath it.

The woman took the child and saw that the top button of her pants was undone.

The child told the woman that Radford had sexually assaulted her.

During a forensic interview with the child, she had told detectives that this had been occurring for the past year and a half, but it was the first time the man had done so under her clothing.

After being read his Miranda Rights, Radford was interviewed, where he admitted it was common for him to rub parts of the child’s body. However, he said that any sexual contact was accidental.

Radford has been charged with one felony count of lewd conduct with a minor child.

He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing before Magistrate Judge James Howard Barrett Jr. at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 11.

Though Reginald has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty. If he is found guilty, he faces a potential sentence of life in prison and/or a fine of up to $50,000.

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