There was no—repeat, no—sexual assault on April 22 in the gazebo at Hawthorne Park, Porter Police said today.

Instead, the 41-year-old Duneland woman who advised the PPD that she had been sexually assaulted in broad daylight could be charged with false reporting, police said.

The woman originally advised investigators that she had arranged to meet a man with whom she had been communicating on line at the gazebo at 2 p.m. That meeting took place, she advised, they chatted for some minutes in the gazebo, and then he began to make sexual advances. The woman rejected them, she advised, he placed his hand over her mouth, forced her to the floor of the gazebo, and assaulted her.

Today Assistant Police Chief Todd Allen told the Chesterton Tribune that the woman’s account of events began to unravel over the course of several interviews, after she advised investigators that she had continued to chat with the man after the assault and that he had asked her to e-mail him a photograph of herself.

When asked why she had fabricated the story, Allen said, she advised that the man with whom she was corresponding reminded her of another man who had assaulted her around 10 years ago.

Allen said that the investigation has been terminated and that a report has been forwarded to the Porter County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for review of a possible charge of false reporting.

Allen noted that the PPD devoted approximately eight man-hours to the investigation.

Posted 4/18/2008