Porter County Courts
October 29, 2012 11:14PM
Updated: December 1, 2012 4:23PM
4 years for molesting 13-year-old
A Valparaiso man who tried to get the mother of a child he allegedly molested to change the child’s claims plead guilty to Class C felony child molesting on Monday.
The plea agreement that Douglas James Christopher, 59, made puts a four-year cap on any prison time that Porter Superior Judge Roger Bradford could give at the Feb. 25 sentencing if he accepts Christopher’s plea. With probation, the sentence could be up to eight years, but the state will drop three charges of Class D felony attempt to obstruct justice for phone calls to the girl’s mother from Porter County Jail.
The molesting incidents happened three times between May and June 2010 with Christopher giving the 13-year-old $20 each time she allowed him to touch her while playing “red light, green light.”
Chesterton teen admits robbery
A Chesterton teen pleaded guilty Monday to attacking a man he met in Valparaiso and taking marijuana and a wallet from the man while he was in a ball on the ground.
Aric DeAngelis, 18, allegedly set up a marijuana deal with the man at Kirchoff Park, then DeAngelis and a juvenile went after him and stole $120 and the drugs.
Police found blood spattered on the man’s clothes and car, and DeAngelis later told police that he didn’t know the juvenile would beat him that severely.
Sentencing for the Class C felony robbery plea is set for Dec. 17, but the amount of time for incarceration is capped at four years.
Suicidal felon going back to prison
A man who held Valparaiso police at bay in January while armed and threatening to commit suicide received a 10-year sentence Monday.
Gregory Stuart Koss, 52, could not legally possess a firearm because of a 1981 conviction for armed robbery in Indianapolis. He pleaded guilty Oct. 10 in Porter County Superior Court to Class B felony serious violent felony possessing a firearm.
Police went to Koss’ Valparaiso apartment Jan. 18 for a welfare check after Koss posted suicidal “goodbye” messages on Facebook.
He told them through the door he had a loaded 9 mm pistol and they should come back the next day when he was dead or he’d shoot them. Police eventually shot a chemical round through his window and broke the door down.
