The office of State Attorney Brian Haas changed how it handles cases of juveniles suspected of lying to law enforcement about sexual assaults following a 2016 Polk County case that received national attention recently.
In that case, a 12-year-old girl was charged with making false statements to a Polk County sheriff’s detective about being raped by her great uncle, who was also her adoptive father; the detective said the evidence did not back up her claims.
It was only after he raped her again and she secretly took photos and videos of the act that the uncle was prosecuted, pleaded guilty and sentenced to 17 years in state prison…