INDIANAPOLIS — The Marion County Prosecutor's Office has expanded the charges leveled against a Center Township deputy constable who was already arrested on a slew of domestic battery charges.
Now the deputy constable could face up to 16 years in prison after having a Level 3 felony count of rape added to the charges filed against him.
The criminal charges filed against Semorris Powell make for the fourth time in less than a year that an employee with the Center Township Constables Office has been charged with a felony.
Not long before Powell's arrest, another deputy constable was arrested on felony gun charges.
Center Township Constable Denise Hatch, who heads the office, faces her own legal troubles and is currently behind bars after being accused for the third time this year of official misconduct, a felony, along with a slew of other charges.
Some of Hatches previous legal issues include being charged with theft and official misconduct along with attempting to interfere in the arrest of one of her deputy constables by IMPD officers. That deputy constable, Craig Regans, was also charged with illegally carrying a weapon.
Previous stories detail Powell's arrest in March stemming from accusations of abuse and sexual assault from the mother of his child.
The victim told investigators that Powell assaulted and threatened to kill her on multiple occasions, often while wearing his Center Township deputy constable uniform and service weapon.
The instances of abuse were allegedly too frequent to count.
Powell's abuse allegedly extended to include raping the victim. In August 2023, the victim said Powell brought over a gift for their child's birthday. After reportedly being asked to leave, Powell is accused of dragging the victim into the bedroom and raping her despite her protests.
Powell was reported wearing his full deputy constable uniform during the assault.
This isn't the only time Powell is accused of forcing himself upon the victim. The victim told police it was "hard to keep count" of the number of times she had sex with Powell when she didn't want to, citing being too scared to fight him.
In late February, police gained access to thousands of messages and communications between Powell and the victim.
In March, police spoke with a relative who told investigators that Powell was controlling and possessive of the victim. The relative had witnessed some of this behavior with Powell reportedly screaming at and berating the victim.
Powell was arrested in March on several domestic battery charges including criminal confinement, a Level 5 felony, and domestic battery, strangulation and intimidation, all Level 6 felonies.
On June 4, the Marion County Prosecutor's Office amended Powell's charges to include rape, a Level 3 felony.
Powell posted bond for his initial charges on March 31. He is due in court on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. to hear his new charge of rape.
A court order issued on Tuesday afternoon agreed to allow Powell's previous bond transfer to his new charge, meaning Powell will remain out of jail on a $25,000 surety bond.
The status of the Center Township Constable's Office remains unclear with Hatch behind bars and several of her deputies, or former deputies, facing criminal charges.
Hatch previously claimed the criminal cases filed against her and her office were done in an effort to discredit her office.
“This is an attack against me because I represent the people,” said Hatch on Feb. 23. “They’re going to throw everything they can throw at me.”
At Hatch's hearing at the end of May, where a judge revoked her bond, Hatch raised her handcuffed wrists and chanted "Free Denise! Free Denise!" while being led to the courtroom.