A Des Moines man accused of indecent contact with a child made his initial appearance in Carroll County District Court earlier this week. Court records show 36-year-old Paul Matthew Synowiecki, formerly of Carroll, was taken into custody by the Carroll Police Department on Nov. 13 on an outstanding arrest warrant. That warrant stems from a Carroll County Sheriff’s Office investigation into a reported incident on or about Aug. 18, 2014. Law enforcement alleges Synowiecki was staying overnight at a home in Ralston and touched the juvenile female victim’s inner thigh area while she was sleeping. Authorities say the girl was nine years old at the time the incident occurred. Synowiecki pled not guilty to the aggravated misdemeanor charge during an initial appearance before a magistrate on Sunday and was released on his own recognizance. His preliminary hearing is slated for Thursday, Dec. 2. An aggravated misdemeanor in Iowa carries a maximum penalty of up to two years imprisonment and $6,250 in fines.
