Lang
1/21/24
An Iowa City man has pleaded not guilty to charges he had inappropriate contact with a child.
On Thursday, 32-year-old Darnell Triplett of Peterson Street entered the plea to two counts of Indecent Contact With a Child and one count of Indecent Exposure.
Triplett was arrested last month for an incident from June of 2021. A witness claims they observed Triplett in the bedroom of a 12-year-old child in the middle of the night. Triplett’s hands were reportedly under the blanket, and the witness was under the impression he was touching the child sexually. The child told investigators that when she was eight or nine years old he fondled her over and under her clothing. When she was 11 or 12 years of age, Triplett allegedly felt the girl’s breasts over her clothing and exposed himself to her while touching himself.
Triplett was also wanted on weapons charges following an incident in February of 2022. Police say he left a loaded 9mm Beretta in an Uber. The gun tested positive for Triplett’s DNA. Triplett has previous armed robbery, drug and domestic abuse charges out of Illinois.
Iowa City Police say they also found Triplett in possession of 14.5 grams of marijuana after he was stopped on the Ped Mall just after 1 a.m. on April 23rd, 2022.
For the weapons and drug incidents, Triplett is charged with Dominion or Control of a Firearm by a Felon, Dominion or Control of a Firearm by a Domestic Abuser, and Possession of a Controlled Substance.
If convicted on all charges against him, Triplett faces a maximum of 16 years in prison.