Batesville man pleads guilty to child molesting
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

Vincent Young, 46, of Batesville pled guilty to child molesting and sexual battery, but won’t spend a day in prison for it.

Young entered an open plea of guilty on both charges and was given a four-year suspended sentence by Judge Carl Taul in Ripley Circuit Court on Monday, April 17.

An investigation began in January of 2005 after the victim told that he had touched her in an inappropriate way. For the inappropriate touching he was charged with Child Molesting. Court documents reveal, “Vincent Young did with a child under 14 years of age, perform any fondling or touching of (victim) with intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or the adult.” Young pled guilty to the acts that also constituted the charge of Sexual Battery.

Terms of Young’s probation include that he will have to register with the sheriff’s department as a sex offender, receive counseling and have no contact with the victim or any child under the age of 18.

Further probation conditions reveal Young cannot live within 1000 feet of school property, cannot reside within one mile of the victim’s residence; cannot possess any pornographic or sexually explicit materials, is not to be present at schools, playgrounds, day care centers unless given permission by the court. Any violation of the conditions of probation could result in Young being arrested again.

Deputy Prosecutor Ryan King represented the state in the case with the defendant being represented by John Watson.