MUNCIE, Ind. — A man who once pleaded guilty but mentally ill to sexual misconduct with a minor is now accused of raping a woman after offering her a ride home.
Michael Edward Harrold, 55, of Muncie was arrested on Thursday on a preliminary charge of rape, a Level 3 felony.
According to court documents, the victim told police she was at the plasma donation center in Muncie last February when Harrold pulled up in a truck and offered her a ride home. The victim wasn't familiar with Harrold and had never seen him before, but took him up on his offer.
But after she got into his vehicle, Harrold began to ask her for sex. She refused, telling Harrold she just wanted to go home, as he promised.
But Harrold didn't listen, according to the victim's account. Instead, he drove her to his house and told her to "get in here."
"I told him I didn't want to do it and he just forced me," she told police.
Harrold allegedly bruised and hurt the victim during the incident. He also repeatedly refused to stop despite her pleas and even is accused of telling her to "shush" when she kept protesting.
Police conducted DNA swabs on the woman, according to court documents. Test results revealed a DNA profile strongly linked to Harrold was found on parts of her body.
This isn't the first time Harrold has been accused of a sex crime. In 2000, Harrold was convicted of sexual misconduct with a minor. Court records show Harrold pleaded guilty but mentally ill to this charge.
At a sentencing hearing in 2001, Harrold was given a 20-year prison sentence.
Harrold repeatedly tried to modify his prison sentence over the years but was repeatedly denied by the Delaware County Court. He appears to have served his entire sentence before being released in 2020.
If convicted of Level 3 felony rape, Harrold could return to prison for up to 16 years.