A Walkerton man accused of having sex and performing sex acts on three girls under the age of five will be sentenced next week.
Jason L. Hershberger, 35, was found guilty last month on five Level 1 felonies and a lone Class A felony count. Four other charges were dismissed.
One of the victims told police that Hershberger molested her up to seven times from April 2012 to when she was interviewed in December 2014, the Tribune reported. Another girl told police she was molested at least twice by Hershberger and a boy said Hershberger had sex with him at least once between October 2012 and December 2014.
A sex device found during a search of Hershberger’s home tested positive for the DNA of one of the girls and Hershberger, according to the Tribune.
Of the ten charges he originally faced, five were Class A felonies and five were Level 1 felonies, according to online court records, because some incidents happened before Indiana revamped its felony offense levels in July 2014.
Class A felonies are punishable by up to 50 years in prison in Indiana and Level 1 felonies are punishable by up to 40 years in prison, according to state sentencing guidelines.
Hershberger could be sentenced up to 250 years in prison when he’s sentenced on Fri., Jan. 13.
