INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A 21-year-old accused of sexual misconduct with a minor is believed to be the father of a child found abandoned on the city’s East side. 

Officers found an infant covered in blood near the intersection of Lace Bark Lane and Long Wharf Drive around 11:30 p.m. Friday, July 24th. 

The woman who gave birth has been identified as a 16-year-old girl, who was 15 at the time of conception, and didn’t know she was pregnant before giving birth. 

The alleged father of the baby is 21-year-old Hernsley Pierre. 

The victim told police on Tuesday that she and Pierre had sex “numerous times” at his house and had been together since January of 2026. The girl added that she hadn’t seen Pierre in at least two months, and believed he had left for a different state around a week prior. 

On Thursday, officers with IMPD’s Child Abuse Unit responded to reports that the man believed to be the father of the child was at the hospital with the victim. 

In a statement to police, Pierre acknowledged that he knew the victim and she was his girlfriend. He claims they started having sex in March of 2026 and followed that statement by saying, “That baby isn’t mine.”

Pierre denies knowing the victim was pregnant.

According to the Probable Cause Affidavit, Pierre didn’t know how old the victim was when their relationship began. He claims the victim told him she was 17 about to turn 18 and that he only realized she was 15 when he picked her up from high school. 

The PCA also reports: “Hernsley stated that, once he found out that she was only 15, he did not stop having sex with her. He stated that he knew it was illegal, and he stated that the reason he knew it was illegal is ‘Everyone in the world knows that it is illegal to have sex with minors.”

Pierre was then placed under arrest for Sexual Misconduct with a Minor.

IMPD credits a community tip as the reason they were able to locate the mother.

“If it wasn’t for that community tip coming forward, leading us to where the mother was; a very young individual, and that individual being forthcoming with us…we would’ve never gotten to the point we’re at today.” said Tommy Thompson, Public Information Officer for IMPD. 

Thompson adds this will likely be a long investigation because detectives have to track down facts and information dating back more than nine months. 

While Indiana does have a Safe Haven law, which allows mothers to give up their newborns without penalty at a hospital or baby box, IMPD isn’t able to speak to whether or not this case falls under that law since the baby was given up in a public place and not taken to anyone. 

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