Man agrees to 15-year sentence in underage sex case

VALPARAISO | A Center Township man will be sentenced to 15 years behind bars if a judge accepts his plea of guilty to a felony count of sexual misconduct with a minor on allegations of abusing a girl for a period of at least three years.

Bond set in Portage fondling case

VALPARAISO | Bond was set Friday at $40,000 surety or $5,000 cash for a 19-year-old Portage man accused of inappropriately touching a 15-year-old girl on multiple occasions.

Man faced myriad sexual misconduct allegations in decades-long career working with children

Editor's note: This is the first of two stories that resulted from a Times investigation into Michael Ritchie, a former region man who has worked with developmentally disabled children under a cloud of allegations pertaining to inappropriate relationships with the youth he was entrusted with…

Lowell man gets time served, probation in girls' molestings

CROWN POINT | A 21-year-old man was sentenced Monday on two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor in connecton with separate incidents in his Lowell home.

Lake Station man admits to fondling girl he met at church

CROWN POINT | A 27-year-old Lake Station man on Thursday was ordered to serve four years on probation for sexual misconduct against a 15-year-old girl he met at church.

Former volleyball coach to represent himself in civil lawsuit

LAPORTE | A former junior varsity volleyball coach convicted of having a sexual relationship with a LaPorte High School girl deflected blame for his conduct, court documents filed last week show.

LaPorte school district denies allegations in civil lawsuit involving sexual relationship

LAPORTE | A former LaPorte High School girl voluntarily engaged in a sexual relationship with her former junior varsity volleyball coach, assuming all risk, LaPorte school officials claimed in court documents this week.

Family sues LaPorte schools for up to $18.7 million in sex case

LAPORTE | The family of a girl who was sexually involved with her former junior varsity volleyball coach filed a lawsuit Thursday against the state, school district and employees, claiming officials ignored indications the relationship was happening, court records state.