Man indicted on child sex charges

OAK HARBOR — An Oak Harbor man was arrested last week for allegedly sexually assaulting multiple children. On July 10, Alex E. Dedes, 54, of the 100 block of E. Water St., was arrested and booked into the Ottawa County Jail following a July 10 indictment from an Ottawa County grand jury on the following charges: • Six counts of gross sexual imposition, which are fourth-degree felonies • One count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a second-degree felony Dedes was initially indicted for one count of gross sexual imposition in March with the alleged incident occurring in late February. That charge was included in the indictment from last week, which includes new criminal charges relating to offenses that he allegedly committed against three additional children between the ages of 14 and 16. He posted bond and was released from jail in April, according to court records. According to an Oak Harbor police department press release, the additional offenses listed in the indictment allegedly occurred last year before the first incident was reported in February. The alleged crimes occurred in September through November 2023, with the most recent alleged incident occurring in late February. The investigation into Dedes began on Feb. 22 after the victim's mother reported that her child told her that Dedes inappropriately touched them while riding as a passenger in his vehicle, according to an Oak Harbor police report. Dedes was released from the Ottawa County Jail Friday on his own recognizance and has a trial date scheduled for Oct. 10.