Valpo man accused of having sex with 15-year-old co-worker, court records show

Bob Kasarda

VALPARAISO — A 20-year-old Valparaiso man faces a felony charge after admitting to having sex with a 15-year-old girl he met while they worked together at a downtown restaurant.

"In one text image that I observed, (Dylan) Nova told Victim 1 that what they did was not okay, acknowledging that he could go to jail but that he didn't care because he was happy," a charging document reads.

Nova was arrested Friday morning and has since bonded out from the Porter County Jail on the charge of sexual misconduct with a minor, records show.

The charge carries a potential sentence of one to six years behind bars if Nova is found guilty.

A Valparaiso police detective said he responded Feb. 21 to a complaint from the parents of the alleged victim. The parents said they discovered text messages between their daughter and Nova that indicated the pair engaged in sexual acts.

The girl reportedly told investigators she met Nova at the restaurant where they both worked and a relationship developed between last Thanksgiving and Christmas. She said she knew he was 20 and he knew she was 15.

The girl said there was an incident where Nova came to her house and the two began kissing, which led to sexual intercourse.

"Victim 1 recalled taking a picture of Nova as he was putting his pants on," a charging document reads.

Nova reportedly told police he knew the girl was 15 and confirmed the incident of sex at her house. He said he stopped the act, "due to it being wrong," police said.

Police said they found several images of the pair on Snapchat and found the photo the girl took of Nova dressing after the alleged sexual incident. The latter photo was date stamped Jan. 31.

The case has been assigned to Porter Superior Court Judge Mike Fish.