A Columbia City woman was charged with sexual misconduct with a minor after the victim's family determined a sexual relationship was adversely affecting him, court records said.

Brittney Erne, now 20, was charged Monday with sexual misconduct with a minor where the defendant has intercourse or engages in other sexual conduct and sexual misconduct with a minor by fondling.

Between January and March, court documents said, Erne, then 19, was staying at the victim's brother's home when the 13-year-old victim started to harm himself. Erne told the boy's brother that the boy was behaving that way because she would not sleep with him, documents said.

The brother's girlfriend said she noticed that the boy was one of Erne's followers on social media and confronted Erne, saying the boy was too young to be seeing “risque” photos of her. In March, the victim's father discovered text messages between the victim and his brother indicating that a sexual relationship was taking place.

The boy was interviewed in April at the Child Advocacy Center, where he disclosed he'd had sex with Erne several times at his brother's residence. The boy said Erne told him not to tell anyone because she didn't want to go to jail, court records said.

When police questioned Erne, she said the boy was the one trying to have sex, but she ended the interview when police asked about further sexual activity.

Erne was being held at the Allen County Jail in lieu of $12,500 bail.

Man accused of sex acts with teen

A 46-year-old Fort Wayne man was charged with sexual misconduct with a minor that occurred about a decade ago.

Jason B. Swopshire, 45, of the 1800 block of Monet Drive, performed sex acts with a girl, aged 14 to 15, “on average once every other day,” from March 2009 to March 2011, according to court documents.

Swopshire was charged Monday with four counts of sexual misconduct with a minor and one count of attempted sexual misconduct with a minor. Swopshire was released Monday from Allen County Jail on $50,000 bond. He has a court hearing today.

Woman hit by SUV at store badly hurt

A woman suffered life-threatening injuries when she was struck by an SUV near a grocery store on Fort Wayne's northeast side.

About 6:15 p.m. Monday, city police were called to Kroger at 6310 E. State Blvd.

According to police, preliminary information indicated the vehicle was headed east through the Kroger parking lot, near the store's entrance. The pedestrian was entering the store and crossed in front of the SUV when she was struck.

The woman, who has not been identified, was taken to a hospital in serious condition then downgraded a short time later.

The driver of the SUV was not injured and remained at the scene. The woman's condition was not available Tuesday night.

Ohio man accused of abusing minors

A 68-year-old Defiance, Ohio, man has been arrested and charged with two counts of sexual battery and three counts of gross sexual imposition, all felonies, the Defiance County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday.

Robert Barker is accused of abusing minors younger than 15 from 2016 through 2018, the sheriff's department said. Barker was being held at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio.

jduffy@jg.net