Prosecutors: Molested Girl's Mom Lied To Protect Man

INDIANAPOLIS -- A woman lied about the name of a man accused of molesting and giving herpes to her 5-year-old daughter, helping him to elude police, the Marion County prosecutor's office said Wednesday.

Crystal Newton, of Indianapolis, was charged Wednesday with three felonies and one misdemeanor relating to allegations that her 30-year-old boyfriend, Jose Luis Oviedo, molested her daughter in January.

Police said they still are looking for Oveido, who was charged on Feb. 7 with four felony counts of child molestation.

"In part due to Newton's help, Oviedo has avoided arrest," the prosecutor's office said in a press release.

The charges accuse Newton of:

Telling investigators on Jan. 29 -- about a day after the girl told police that Newton's boyfriend "Jose" molested her -- that Jose's last name was Sabrina.

Declining to seek medical attention for the girl for two days after she showed signs of having herpes.

Allowing Oviedo to be in a home with the child on Jan. 29, after the molestation allegations were made, despite the fact Newton had signed an agreement with social workers that the child wouldn't have contact with Oviedo.

Telling the girl to tell police that the molestation didn't happen and threatening to "whoop" the girl if she didn't lie.

The girl was treated at an Indianapolis hospital on Jan. 27 after her grandmother found lesions on her body, authorities said. The girl told police that Newton's boyfriend had molested her, and a witness in the case told police that Oviedo has herpes, authorities said.

Newton gave an investigator Oviedo's real name on Jan. 31, about an hour after child welfare workers removed Newton's children from her custody, police said in a probable cause affidavit.

Newton was charged with a felony count of obstruction of justice, two felony counts of neglect of a dependant, and a misdemeanor count of intimidation.

Oviedo is Hispanic and about 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs about 250 pounds. Police said he drives a white, 1990s-model minivan with a cracked windshield.

Oviedo has been frequently seen in the 2000 block of East Michigan Street, the 4100 block of East Hoyt Avenue and 600 block of North Hamilton Street, according to police.

Police asked anyone with information on Oveido's whereabouts to call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.