Cedar Rapids man charged with sexual abuse of 4-year-old

CEDAR RAPIDS --- A Cedar Rapids man was arrested Sunday on charges he sexually abused a 4-year-old child in June.

Darren J Barnett, 39, is charged with second-degree sexual abuse. According to a criminal complaint, he was roommates with a mother and her 4-year-old daughter at a residence in Cedar Rapids.

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On June 9, the mother saw Barnett sexually abusing the child. She reported it to police and the child was interviewed at the UnityPoint-St. Luke’s Child Protection Center. The girl told a nurse at the center that Barnett touched her inappropriately, the complaint states.

A no-contact order has been filed on behalf of the child. Barnett had his first appearance in court Monday and was being held in the Linn County Jail on a cash-only, $25,000 bail.

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