A Knox man was arrested and faces multiple charges of rape and sexual misconduct with a minor.
The Starke County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement to their Facebook on Monday:
On the morning of Monday, October 19th, 2026, a Knox man was arrested on an outstanding warrant by Deputies with the Starke County Sheriff’s Department.
Prior to the arrest, Starke County Sheriff’s Detectives assigned to the Starke County Major Crimes Unit were assigned a case involving the allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. Investigators worked with the Indiana Department of Child Services throughout the investigation. The suspect in the case was identified as Richard Gast, age 60 of Knox, Indiana.
At the completion of the investigation, a report was forwarded to the Starke County Prosecutors Office, where after review formal charges were filed. A warrant was then issued for Gast by the Starke Circuit Court. The formal charges were two counts of Rape a Level 3 Felony, one count of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor a Level 4 Felony, and one count of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor a Level 5 Felony. Richard Gast is currently being held at the Starke County Justice Center on a $250,000 cash bond.