Five Warren County teens indicted for rape of 13-year-old

[Update: On August, 8 the charge against Kyler Morgan has been dropped, and his record has been expunged.]

Five Warren County teenage boys were indicted on sexual abuse charges, WLBT reports. The five allegedly raped a 13-year-old girl last year.

The Warren County Grand Jury handed down the indictments in it’s October session.  Kyler Morgan, 19 is charged with statutory rape of a victim under the age of 14. Jeff Dominic Howard Moore, 18; Peyton Taylor Davidson, 18; Landon Austin Pettway, 18; and William Alexander Fischer, 19 are each charged with statutory rape and sexual battery of a victim under the age of 14.

According to District Attorney Ricky Smith, the Warren County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation a year ago. They learned about a 13-year-old sneaking out of her home in the evenings and had sex with the five who were ages 17 to 18 at the time.

Though the interactions were consensual, under Mississippi law, she was not legally allowed to consent. The law states that an individual under the age of 16 does not have the authority to consent.

Smith told WLBT, “If the person they’re having sexual relations with was more than 24 months older than her, then that would be a felony for statutory rape. Even if it was willing participation by the victim.” Smith went on to add, “It doesn’t matter if you have a 13-year-old, if she walks into the room naked and says ‘Here I am,’ that if you’re 24-months older than her, or him, it could be a him, then that’s a felony that could put you in prison for the rest of your life.”