Eighteen years ago, an 11-year-old girl told authorities that Lane A. Andrews, of Garrett, molested her.
A Department of Child Services caseworker taped an interview with the victim and sent the tapes to the Garrett Police Department for a criminal inquiry.
According to court documents, no investigation took place and Andrews, the 55-year-old pastor of New Life Ministries in Garrett, remained free.
He is currently awaiting trial on an unrelated case after he was charged in May with allowing a 7-year-old girl to fondle him.
On Thursday, the DeKalb County prosecutor’s office filed child molesting charges against Andrews in the 18-year-old case.
The new allegations came to light when his alleged victim, now 29, contacted a DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department detective and reported that Andrews fondled her at least three times between September 1989 and September 1991, according to charges filed in DeKalb County Superior Court.
Under Indiana law, the statute of limitations on a case like Andrews’ expires when the victim turns 31 years old, according to DeKalb County Prosecutor ClaraMary Winebrenner.
Andrews, who was free on bond on his May charges, was booked into the DeKalb County Jail on Friday morning.
He was released after posting $10,000 bond shortly thereafter.
Garrett Police Chief Rex Harpel could not be reached for comment Friday evening.
