Sidney man charged with sexual assault of minor

The Cheyenne County attorney’s office filed a complaint on Monday against 19-year-old Joseph Bailey for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl.

Bailey is charged with sexual assault, a class two felony, third degree sexual assault of a child, a class three-A felony and child abuse, a class three-A felony.

Law enforcement became aware of this incident when police were dispatched to a Sidney residence for a noise complaint and were then notified by the girl’s mother that she had been raped but had not reported it.

Police later found through interviews that four teenage girls had witnessed a portion of the alleged inappropriate conduct between Bailey and the girl that reportedly occurred at the girl’s house in the early morning hours of June 14.

When police questioned Bailey, he initially denied that he’d ever been to the girl’s residence but then changed his story and said the teenage girls supplied him with alcohol. He then allegedly claimed that he blacked out and didn’t remember anything that happened for the rest of the night.

Bailey allegedly told friends and roommates that he’d had sex with the girl after the incident.

Two other teenage girls allegedly claimed that he had attempted to grope and kiss them as well.

When police questioned the girl, she claimed that Bailey supplied her with alcohol and raped her.

Bailey was arrested on June 20.