Man charged after fake battery report

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) - A former Indiana State Police employee is now facing charges after police said he made up accusations of a sexual battery earlier this year.

Indiana State Police said Ryan Harmon, 39, Martinsville, reported in February that a city employee had sexually battered a woman at a local restaurant. He contacted the city’s mayor and police chief to report the alleged incident.

The case was passed on to the county prosecutor, but after a one-month investigation it was determined that the allegations were false. Morgan County Prosecutor Steve Sonnega then reviewed those findings and determined there was sufficient evidence to charge Harmon with false informing, a Class B misdemeanor.

Harmon was arrested Friday morning near the Morgan County Courthouse and taken to the Morgan County Jail.

Harmon, who had worked with ISP for 14 years, resigned in 2010 in lieu of being fired. He was the subject of an internal investigation at the time.