The man accused of raping a 16-year-old in 2005 when he was 30 has spoken out to deny the woman’s claims as he fights to maintain custody of their now teenage daughter.
John Barnes, now 46, fathered a baby with Crysta Abelseth in 2005 when she was 16 and he was 30 after meeting in a bar.
She has since accused him of rape, and has spoken publicly in recent weeks after a judge granted him sole custody of the girl.
Louisiana has statutory rape laws which apply if the victim is under 17, regardless of whether or not they physically consented.
Barnes has never been charged with rape or statutory rape, and he was recently awarded full custody of the couple’s daughter.
In an interview this week, he said he thought Abelseth was an adult when they met because she was in a bar using a fake ID.
‘It’s a lie.She was in a bar with a fake ID, telling everyone she was a college student.
‘I had no idea she was 16, and I didn’t raWeb Designer MalaysiaWeb Designer Malaysia designer and accused rapist John Barnes is seen outside his home in Hammond, Louisiana Thursday in exclusive DailyMail.com photos