A man accused of raping a sixteen-year-old girl sixteen years ago, says, "It's all lies." While John Barnes has not returned our phone message, he did comment to Fox News Digital, and he claims he is completely innocent.

You can click here to read our original story. 

John Barnes told Fox Digital that he did not rape Crysta Abelseth as she claims. He says he wants to tell his side of the story. He says claims made by Abelseth that she was raped are false. He says he found out later she had a fake ID when the two met at a bar in 2005. He says "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 rape her. This absolutely, unequivocally false."

Tangiopahoa Sheriff's Department says they "dropped the ball" with investigating this case. Click here to read that story. 

Abelseth says instead of taking her to her home, he took her to his, and she claims he raped her on his living room couch. He says that's a lie. Regardless of what she says or he says, she was sixteen at the time this happened, and it is illegal to have sex with someone under the age of 17 even if they give consent.

The story has gained national attention as a judge recently awarded custody of the sixteen-year-old girl to John Barnes on a temporary basis. Now, Abelseth must pay child support to the man she claims raped her.

Abelseth has claimed that Barnes always threatened her because of "his connections".

In his defense, Barnes told Fox News Digital,

All I have been trying to do is protect my daughter. There is no way in hell I have influenced sever very high-level organizations that are geared towards protecting children's rights and safety into sweeping her claims of rape and child abuse under the rug.

In reference to why Barnes has been awarded temporary custody, he says the judge awarded him custody of the girl after Abelseth allowed her daughter to post sexually explicit things on TikTok. He also says his daughter was sexting with her boyfriend. That's one reason why when Abelseth gave the daughter another phone, he seriously objected to that. Much of the records in the court proceedings between Abelseth and Barnes are sealed.

There is another court hearing coming up soon concerning the custody of the daughter.

We will continue to cover this story.

 

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