Two Osgood area men plead guilty to child molesting charges
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

Nearly two years to the date of his original arrest, Lochart E. "Dusty" Latta, 60, pled guilty in Ripley Circuit Court to Child Molesting, a Class B felony last Tuesday, April 6.

Also on the same day, April 6, in the same court, Rodney D. Lozier, 33, pled guilty to Sexual Misconduct with a Minor, also a Class B felony. Both men were from the Osgood area.

According to Prosecutor Ric Hertel, who prosecuted both cases, he described the cases as "time consuming child sexual misconduct cases that were successfully brought to an end."

Latta was sentenced to 20 years with four years being suspended to probation. The Prosecutor's Office provided certified documents to the court that revealed Latta had a prior offense in Oklahoma for a crime of a similar nature starting in 1964.

Lozier, who did not have a previous criminal record, received a 12 year sentence with four suspended.

"By admitting guilt, these young victims will not have to experience the further trauma of courtroom testimony," noted Hertel, who said the investigations into these cases had been extremely time consuming. He had high praise for the cooperative effort between the Indiana State Police and the Ripley County Department of Family and Children. ISP Det. Tracy Rohlfing and Trooper Keith Schmitz were the lead investigators in the cases. "These guilty pleas will hopefully assist in allowing the victims to piece together their lives after such a traumatic crime," Hertel said.

"Ripley County is fortunate that we have police investigators that have special training and have experience in child abuse investigations. It is ironic that these two cases of child molesting/sexual misconduct end at the beginning of this month, Child Abuse Prevention Month," noted Hertel. "These crimes leave lasting wounds that may never fully heal, but the law holding someone accountable is a start. I encourage our community to take a more proactive role in the prevention of this crime. Together we can make a difference," he concluded.