Maize man lied about dead child to gain parents’ trust, then assaulted kids

A Maize man who used parents’ empathy to get close to their daughters before sexually assaulting the children was sentenced Friday to life in prison.

Gene Cusick pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child in October. In his plea, the 51-year-old admitted to molesting two girls between August 2014 and October 2018. Both girls were around the age of 10 and the assaults happened in the Sedgwick County area, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

The DA’s Office said Cusick connected with the parents of the victims by telling them his 10-year-old daughter died in a go-kart crash, which was not true.

One girl told her mother after her family moved out of state. She said it happened while Cusick watched her when the parents were at work, the Attorney’s Office said. The other girl told a parent about being sexually assaulted while Cusick watched her at his Maize home, the Attorney’s Office said.

Cusick won’t be eligible for parole for 25 years.

This story was originally published December 20, 2019 at 5:10 PM.