Staff Writer

PRINCETON-A city man who volunteered his time as an assistant with the Princeton Community High School wrestling team is accused of serving alcohol to minors and making unwanted physical contact.

Daniel R. Terry, 32, of 827 S. Stormont St. was arrested on charges of battery and two counts of contributing alcohol to a minor Wednesday, according to an affidavit for probable cause filed by Sgt. Mike Hurt of the Princeton Police Dept.

Hurt declined further comment, but court records show a warrant was issued Oct. 19 and Terry turned himself in to police that same day. He posted $1,800 bond and was released, pending a Nov. 2 appearance in Gibson Superior Court.

Terry is charged with battery not leading to injury, a class B misdemeanor, and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a class A misdemeanor.

Circumstances surrounding the battery charge are false, Terry said Monday when contacted for comment about the charges. He said aspects of the inquiry involving alcohol were true.

According to police, Terry has served as a volunteer assistant at Princeton Community High School for the past eight years. He has been sent a letter from the high school banning him from all North Gibson School Corp. property and school functions.

PCHS Principal Jon Abbey said Terry, who is pictured on a Princeton wrestling team web site with the team and staff, has never been considered a board-approved volunteer assistant coach.

There were two separate incidents mentioned in the affidavit. In the initial report, a 16-year-old boy claimed that Terry provided him with beer on the night of Sept. 10 at Terry's former residence. The youth also claimed Terry showed him pornographic videos.

The minor alleged that, later in the evening after he went to bed at Terry's home, Terry came in and laid beside him, rubbing the child's chest and genitals for a minute, until the child rolled away from him. The boy told police, according to the affidavit, that he was &#8220scared" when Terry touched him.

The legal age of consent for sexual activities in Indiana is 16.

In the affidavit, police said further investigation determined that last November, Terry provided a 15-year-old boy with a drink containing whiskey. The youth told police in a videotaped interview that he was also shown pornographic videos, but no sexual or unwanted contact was made.

The affidavit alleges that Terry admitted to giving alcohol to the two minors &#8220on occasion."

Terry told police he was in bed with the 16-year-old, but did not remember touching the boy because he was intoxicated. But according to the affidavit, Terry said he was 99 percent sure the minor was telling the truth.