(Michigan City, IN) - A teenager from Michigan City is being tried as an adult for sex crimes against a younger child, as 16-year-old Barry Lewis, III has been charged with Rape, Child Molestation, and two counts of Sexual Battery.

According to court documents, the alleged acts occurred against a 13-year-old girl in October, when he was home on a pass from an alternative school in Elkhart County.

La Porte County Prosecutor Sean Fagan says it’s best for an adult court to preside over the case given the allegations, because of the potential for harsher consequences compared to what a juvenile court can hand down if there’s a conviction. He also noted that the case met state requirements for him to directly file the case in adult court instead of a third party making that decision.

“In this case, the elements were there where there was an age threshold, accusations of a certain crime, and certain other things, so, in my determination, it was better that this case was appropriate for direct file in adult court than being within the juvenile system,” he said.

Lewis is being held in the La Porte County Juvenile Services Center to await the outcome of the case.