An elderly Story County man has been arrested and criminally charged after allegedly raping a teenage girl inside a Nevada home.
According to court documents, 77-year-old Dale Edwin Purdy has been charged with Third-Degree Sexual Abuse, a class “C” felony, in connection with the allegations.
Authorities say a student at a local high school reported being sexually assaulted during the early morning hours of April 2. The Nevada Police Department, which has handled the criminal investigation, met with the victim, who said she woke up around 3:30 a.m. “to [Purdy] laying on top of her in her bedroom.” Due to the nature of the allegations, StoryCounty.News is withholding further details included in the criminal complaint.
According to Nevada PD, the victim provided investigators with a description of the clothing she was wearing when the assault occurred, along with photographs she took following the incident.
The complaint states that the victim completed a sexual assault kit, and a search warrant was executed at the Nevada residence. Authorities reportedly recovered clothing and bedding during the search. Police forwarded the sexual assault kit, along with other evidence to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).
Court documents state that “unknown DNA and known DNA” were found on the victim’s shorts. On July 10, “a non-testimonial was granted by the courts for [Purdy’s] DNA”. Investigators collected a buccal swab from Purdy on July 15, which was sent to DCI “for comparison with the [other] evidence sent to the lab.”
According to the criminal complaint, Nevada PD received the results of the DCI report on August 6, which indicated that the DNA obtained from Purdy matched the DNA found on the victim’s shorts.
Purdy, who was a Nevada resident at the time of the alleged rape, moved to Ames shortly thereafter, according to a Nevada PD spokesperson. He was taken into custody on August 8 and transported to the Story County Jail in Nevada. He has since been assigned a $25,000 bond and a no-contact order.
Purdy is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Monday, according to court documents.
If you feel you have been a victim of sexual assault, you are encouraged to call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit www.rainn.org/resources for online chat help.
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