Vinton man charged with sexually abusing two girls

VINTON - A Vinton man faces several charges stemming from a sexual assault investigation by the Vinton Police Department.

Authorities said 22-year-old Kevin Wheeler sexually abused two girls over a four-month period, from December 2014 to March 2015. The victims were 13 and 15 years old at the time the abuse started, according to a release from police Lt. Eric Dickinson.

'The victims are not related to Mr. Wheeler and this was not a caretaker issue,” Dickinson said via email. He declined to provide further details about possible connections between Wheeler and the victims out of concern for keeping their identities anonymous.

Prosecutors have charged Wheeler with two counts of third-degree sexual abuse and one count of lascivious acts with a child, both Class C felonies. He also faces two counts of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse and one count of indecent contact with a child, both aggravated misdemeanors, and one count of lascivious conduct with a minor, a serious misdemeanor.

Online records show Wheeler remains in the Benton County Jail. A judge set his bond at $10,000.