WILLMAR - A 38-year-old Willmar man has been charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly fathering a child with a 14-year-old girl.
Jeramy John Wharton has posted $10,000 conditional bond and is not in custody.
According to the criminal complaint on the charge, the girl told law enforcement that she woke up one night in April to Wharton, naked and on top of her.
He allegedly told the girl it was just a dream. The girl told law enforcement she did not initially tell anyone about it, because she was scared and didn't know what to do.
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In April, a Kandiyohi County sheriff's detective met with Wharton for a DNA sample and an interview. Wharton allegedly told the detective that he takes sleep medication, sleeps for 12-16 hours and does not remember what he does while on the medication.
Wharton's DNA sample was sent to the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The results of a paternity test there revealed that it is 87,000 times more likely that Wharton is the father of the girl's child as compared to untested men from the general population, which a BCA scientist called "very strong evidence."
Wharton's next court hearing is set for June 6.
