VALPARAISO | A 22-year-old Wanatah woman accused of sexually abusing a 3-year-old Chesterton boy she was babysitting is cooperating in the case against her former boyfriend -- charged with persuading her to carry out the acts.
Porter Superior Judge Bill Alexa on Friday granted a request by the defense to delay Tara Tryon's Sept. 10 trial in order to wait for the outcome of the criminal case against Ryan Schroeder of Center Township.
Tryon has given statements and plans to testify against Schroeder if the case goes to trial as planned Dec. 10 before Porter Circuit Court Judge Mary Harper, said defense attorney Bob Harper.
Tryon is cooperating with prosecutors without the incentive of a plea agreement easing her own criminal case, Harper said.
Tryon's trial is now set for Jan. 28, with a preliminary hearing Dec. 21.
Tryon appeared in court Friday, but made no comments during her short hearing.
She is charged with five Class B felony counts and one Class C felony count of child molesting, along with seven Class C felony counts of child exploitation.
Schroeder, 26, is charged with 23 felony counts that allege, among other crimes, he persuaded Tryon to molest the Chesterton boy and send Schroeder photos and videos while he was serving in the U.S. Navy near Jacksonville, Fla.
Police have said Schroeder could be charged further in federal court in connection with Adriane Holley Harris, a sailor assigned to the Norfolk, Va., Ship Yard, who faces federal charges of taking numerous nude photographs of a young girl and sending the images to Schroeder.
Schroeder has also been involved several years with a 17- or 18-year-old woman, who told investigators Schroeder has asked her to take photographs of other women, including her mother, police said.
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