A 28-year-old Indiana woman has come forward, prompting a wave of new criminal charges against former Gregg Township Fire Chief Roger Kemp. Kemp now faces multiple counts in Brown County, including sexual misconduct with a minor, vicarious sexual gratification, and multiple counts of child exploitation.
Background
The new charges follow an initial February charge in Bartholomew County for possession of child sex abuse material, which stemmed directly from evidence uncovered by the victim herself. According to court documents, Arika Palmer was just 14 years old when she first met Kemp, who was then a married fire chief with children her age.
Palmer says that Kemp exploited his position of authority within the community to silence her and conceal the abuse. “Him being a fire chief, he always told me, ‘No one will ever believe you because I am in this position of power. I’m an important public official. You’re nobody,” Palmer recalled.
Investigation and Charges
Documents reveal Kemp engaged in sexual acts with Palmer multiple times before her 16th birthday. When she turned 16, Kemp hosted a party centered around a crude joke about statutory legal thresholds—a detail prosecutors say speaks directly to his awareness of his crimes.
“I think it shows his culpability,” said Brown County Prosecutor Ted Adams. “It demonstrates that, in my opinion, that’ll be valuable evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he knew exactly what he was doing.”
In Indiana, the statute of limitations for most felonies expires after five years. However, state law contains specific “saving clauses” designed to protect victims of historical sexual abuse when new evidence comes to light.
Aftermath
For Palmer, the fight for accountability extends beyond her abuser to the institution that shielded him. “I feel completely failed by, especially, the fire department, because that’s supposed to be a safe place that people can go for help,” Palmer said. “And not only is the chief in a relationship with an underage girl, but the people who know about it are also not saying anything to anyone.”
Kemp resigned immediately following his initial arrest in February. Rob Stecher, the new Chief of the Gregg Township Fire Department, confirmed in a public statement that the department has since undergone a complete organizational overhaul, adopting new leadership, bylaws, and strict vetting procedures.
Original reporting: 93.1 WIBC (Indianapolis) — read the source article.
