(8-6-26) Zachary Cline (48) of Hartford City man has been arrested on multiple charges after a child came forward and stated he had been performing sex acts with her for four years.
Cline has been charged in Blackford County with:
- One count of child molesting, a Level 1 felony
- One count of domestic battery with bodily injury, a Level 5 felony
- Multiple misdemeanor gun and drug charges
The molesting charge against Cline, filed in Blackford Circuit Court, is a Level 1 felony carrying up to 40 years in prison.
The battery charge, a Level 5 felony with a maximum six-year sentence, stems from bruising found “all over the back” of the juvenile’s legs.
The misdemeanor firearm charge stems from discovery of a rifle found in Cline’s home when deputies served a search warrant. Because of a 2015 conviction for domestic battery in Delaware County, Cline is prohibited from possessing guns.
According to documents-
Cline allegedly told the child not to tell anyone about the incidents, which mainly occurred in Hartford City, but reportedly first began in Muncie. During the interview, the documents stated that the child also said that they had been “beaten” by Cline for “stealing a small stuffed animal.”
Mercer County Outlook 