From The Times Tribune -
A London man who allegedly sexually assaulted a teenage girl on a houseboat in 2017 was indicted Friday by a Laurel County grand jury.
55 year old Christopher Southard, was named in a three-count indictment on charges that allegedly occurred sometime in August 2017. He has been charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, and first-degree sexual abuse.
Southard was arrested April 25 in connection to the alleged incident following a complaint and a subsequent investigation by the London Police Department. According to Southard’s arrest citation, the incident took place on a houseboat on Laurel Lake, where Southard allegedly fondled the victim with his hand and performed oral sex before having sexual intercourse.
The citation states the incident took place Aug. 1, 2017 and the victim would have been 14 years old at the time of the alleged incident.
Southard was released on bond just a few days after his arrest, but was jailed again Friday following his indictment. He remains jailed in the Laurel County Correctional Facility under a $25,000 cash bond.
An indictment is a formal charge by a grand jury; it is not a conviction or an admission of guilt.
Comments