ANDERSON, Ind. — A former Madison County councilman who is accused of raping an underage girl in 2020 is being sought by police after he failed to show up for his appointed court date.
According to court records, former councilman Steve Sumner, 55, was set to appear in Madison County court on Thursday. After failing to show, the court issued a warrant for Sumner’s arrest.
At the time of publishing, Sumner’s warrant is still active.
Previous reports detail that Sumner resigned from his seat on the Madison County Council in May 2021, several months after his charges were first filed in December 2020.
Charging documents accuse Sumner of a litany of charges related to child sex crimes. Online court records show he currently faces 15 felony charges that include child seduction, possession of child pornography, child molestation and rape.
Sumner was 52 years old when he was accused of molesting an underage girl in the early parts of 2020. The victim told officers she attempted to resist by pushing and kicking him, court documents reveal.
A search of Sumner’s phone included the discovery of images and videos of a “young nude female,” according to the documents. The photos were reportedly of the victim and were taken in 2019 and 2020.
Text messages were also reportedly found on the phone that were sent by Sumner to the victim and asked the underage girl for photographs of her in the shower.
A court date in Sumner’s case is currently slated for Sept. 5.
