A Greenwood man could face up to 52 years behind bars after a jury convicted him of two counts of child molesting.
Following a four-day trial, a Johnson County jury took less than five hours to convict Julian Noel, 37, of two counts of child molesting, as a Level 1 and Level 4 felony.
The case appeared before Superior Court 3 Judge Douglass Cummins with special prosecutors from Brown County. Special prosecutors were appointed because when the case was assigned to Superior Court 3, current Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner was its judge. Noel’s attorney petitioned to have a special prosecutor appointed to the case and the petition was granted. Brown County Prosecutor Ted Adams and his chief deputy, Rob Seet, represented the state.
Noel was found to have molested a young girl for several years. The girl first reported the incidents to her mother with an anonymous text message because Noel had threatened her and warned her not to come forward, the probable cause affidavit says.
“The only difference between the charges was how old our victim was when he was committing his despicable acts,” Adams said in a statement on the trial. “He terrorized that brave young victim for years.”
The jury found Noel guilty on all counts. When the verdict was read, tears of joy could be heard behind the State of Indiana’s trial table, prosecutors said.
“We were certainly happy to jump on this major felony case, commit the time towards preparation, and get this closed for Johnson County,” Seet said in a statement on the trial.
Adams and Seet plan to seek the maximum sentence for the crime, they said. Count I carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 20 years. Count II carries a maximum sentence of 12 years. The sentences can run consecutively, or one after another, making Noel’s possible sentence up to 52 years.
“I am pleased that we will have a maximum sentence of 52 years with which to hold him accountable,” Adams said. “We’ll be seeking the maximum given the unbelievable trauma inflicted upon the victim and the shenanigans by the defendant during the pendency of this case.”
