Jury finds Cross Plains man guilty on sexual charges against a minor

“It’s plain and simple. It’s black and white. Adults cannot have sex with children.” This was the message that Chief Deputy Prosecutor Shane Tucker strongly conveyed to the jury as he began closing arguments for the State of Indiana versus Dylan Iceberg, 27, Cross Plains, on Thursday, July 17. After deliberating for just under an hour, a jury found Iceberg guilty of two level 4 felonies including Sexual Misconduct with a Minor-Def. has intercourse with or engages in other sexual and Sexual Misconduct with Minor under age 16 and committed by person at least 21 years old.

The crimes Iceberg was convicted of took place on the dates of May 11 into May 12, 2024. Tucker presented to the jury that the minor victim’s credibility was crucial throughout the entire process detailing that she was interviewed by ISP Detective Brent Miller within hours of the event, a sexual assault exam was performed later that day, time spent prepping for a deposition and taking part in the same, attending many meetings prior to the trial and the victim also provided over two hours of testimony to the jury.

Tucker described the minor victim as a 14-year-old middle schooler that lives with her adoptive dad and stays over at her friend’s house multiple times a week. He explained a timeline of events that started with Iceberg and his father showing up at a home in which the minor victim and her friend were visiting in Cross Plains where they were playing with toys entertaining an even younger child. When arriving, the two men had alcohol and marijuana with them and eventually the two minor girls left with Iceberg and his father.

The group of four stopped at a nearby church. Iceberg and his father left temporarily but came back and picked the minor girls up again and they all drove out to a family property where Iceberg dropped his father off prior to heading back into the wooded area.

Throughout the investigation, Iceberg stated that he dropped the two minor girls off at the church, did not drive past the church and did not ever take the girls to the property. However, evidence submitted by the state proved otherwise, as data from a Snapchat video from one of the minor girls showed the vehicle being driven in a location between the church and the property where the minor victim and her friend stated the events took place.

The sexual acts took place after arriving at the property in a heavily wooded area in which the minor victim or her friend had never previously visited. The minor victim was able to describe the location and details of the property accurately. Throughout the night, sexual conduct occurred with the minor victim and the defendant had sexual intercourse with her in the back of his vehicle while the other minor girl was asleep.

Tucker emphasized to the jury while directly pointing at Iceberg “(Victim) is a child and he took that away from her.”

Tucker also presented evidence during the trial showing that DNA found from samples cut from the minor victim’s underwear resulted in the DNA being 5,659 times likely to be Iceberg’s. Tucker also explained that the SA exam did not show any physical evidence of abuse or trauma but that those results are not uncommon either. Attorney John Dorenbusch, who was appointed to represent Iceberg, presented expert testimony during the trial that the DNA found could’ve been transfer DNA and that transfer DNA is more frequently found versus single DNA. The DNA could’ve also been from a paternal relative of Iceberg.

Surveillance evidence from a nearby residence showed the Dollar General in Cross Plains, which corroborates the minor victim’s testimony showing Iceberg’s vehicle at Dollar General around 7 a.m., the time they say they were dropped off. The two minor girls hid behind a dumpster at Dollar General for nearly two hours and surveillance showed them running from Dollar General around 8:47 a.m. Although there wasn’t surveillance of the girls behind the dumpster, toy rubber ducks that Iceberg gave the minor girls were located behind the dumpster later.

Dorenbusch discredited the minor victim’s timeline of events throughout the investigation stating that she left out details and wasn’t forthcoming about some of the sex acts until two days before her deposition was scheduled for. Tucker credited Det. Miller’s investigation along with his experience of working over 100 sex crimes against children and explained that “disclosure is a process” which often times can take up to months or years for victims.

After the verdict was delivered, Circuit Court Judge Ryan King set Iceberg’s sentencing hearing for August 7 at 1:30 p.m.

Editor’s Note: The story of charges against Iceberg was first published July 9, 2024, in the Osgood Journal.