A Middletown man who previously skirted murder charges was indicted Monday on 13 counts following an investigation into the alleged rape, assault and stalking of a child under the age of 13 years old.

Eusten Coppin, 26, is charged with predatory sexual assault and child rape for a six-month timeframe back in 2016 – when Coppin was 18 years old. He’s also charged with the use of a child during a sexual performance and having images depicting child sex abuse.

“This case was initiated eight years after the alleged events by a woman who was upset, according to her own statement, that my client was not indicted after he killed a very close friend of hers. She claims he admitted that he did not act in self-defense as the Grand Jury concluded, says Coppin’s attorney,” says Coppin’s attorney, Michael Sussman. “Her mother reported in July 2016 that she believed her daughter was having sex with my client. The daughter denied it and the Middletown police did nothing to then follow up. I am working to resolve the charges.”

Coppin was previously arrested for the murder of his former friend, 22-year-old Nicholas Lacatena, in Middletown in 2022, but Sussman says the fatal stabbing was later determined to be self-defense and the case was dismissed.

Coppin is being held in Orange County Jail on $75,000 cash bail.

News 12 reached out to City of Middletown police for more information on both cases, but has not received a response