Schererville man charged in death of girlfriend’s son, 5
A northwestern Indiana man has been charged with murder in the death of his girlfriend’s 5-year-old son, whose bruised body had fresh bite marks.
Child Abuse
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COA: Striking child with cord not protected parental discipline
An Indianapolis mother convicted of felony battery after striking her son with an electrical cord failed to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that the charges against her could be defeated by the concept of parental privilege.
7th Circuit: Mother’s sentence, restitution order affirmed in child porn case
A Hammond woman convicted for possession of child porn will keep her enhanced sentence and restitution order after the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the rulings in her case Friday.
Tougher Indiana law on under-18 marriages clears Statehouse
Anyone younger than 18 will need a judge’s permission to get married in Indiana under a law change approved by state legislators. The measure endorsed almost unanimously by lawmakers would repeal the state’s current law that allows those as young as 15 to marry if they have parental consent.
COA affirms charges brought under new cause number
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the denial of a man’s motion to dismiss charges brought against him in a new cause after the state sought to refile the case to tidy up the record, finding no abuse of discretion in the decision.
Court dismisses suit that sought to provide attorneys to CHINS children
A lawsuit filed by 10 Hoosier children who argued Indiana should be required to provide legal counsel to youngsters involved in children in need of services proceedings was dismissed Tuesday in federal court. Attorneys who filed the case, however, indicated the matter is far from over.
Indianapolis man facing fines in Ky. for employing children to sell candy
Kentucky is seeking $45,000 in fines from an Indiana man who is accused of using children to sell candy in Bowling Green. Shawn Floyd, 55, also faces 12 felony charges of human trafficking.
Virginia woman accused of abducting 4 kids found in Plainfield
A Virginia woman accused of abducting her four children and leading authorities on a nationwide chase for several months was taken into custody Wednesday morning in Plainfield, authorities said.
Man sentenced in death of girlfriend’s 18-month-old daughter
A northeastern Indiana man is heading to prison on a 35-year sentence in the death of his girlfriend’s 18-month-old daughter.
Senate passes bill restricting depositions of child sex crime victims
Alleged child sex crime victims would be subjected to discovery depositions only in rare circumstances under a bill that passed the Indiana Senate on a nearly unanimous vote. Adoption of the legislation would remove Indiana from the handful of states that do not shield child sex crimes victims from pretrial depositions.
Franklin College president ousted after arrest in Wisconsin
Franklin College terminated President Thomas Minar over the weekend after he was arrested in Wisconsin “for use of a computer to facilitate a sex crime, child enticement, and to expose a child to harmful materials/narrations,” the school said Monday afternoon.
Shelbyville man gets 200 years for child sexual exploitation
A man who pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography has been sentenced to 200 years in federal prison, the federal prosecutor’s office for the Southern District of Indiana announced.
Commission seeks attorney’s suspension in Park Tudor sex scandal discipline case
The Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission is calling for the suspension of a prominent Indianapolis employment attorney it accused of possessing child pornography in the fallout of a teacher-student sex scandal at Park Tudor High School. His defense team counters that no sanction is warranted.
Report blames 65 Indiana child deaths on abuse or neglect
A new report shows that 65 Indiana children died from abuse or neglect during 2018, the same number as its last year-long review. The Indiana Department of Child Services said it investigated 242 child fatalities that happened in 2018, determining 26% of those deaths were from abuse or neglect.
Woman charged with neglecting son found in washing machine
A central Indiana woman who told police in August that she found her 5-year-old son injured inside a running washing machine faces a child neglect charge.
CHINS findings for siblings upheld
The parents of four children who were all adjudicated as children in need of services have lost their appeal of the CHINS determinations, with the Indiana Court of Appeals dismissing arguments claiming error on the part of the trial court and the Department of Child Services.
Indiana prison official charged with molesting child
The technology director at the Indiana Department of Correction has been charged with molesting a child at his home on prison property in Pendleton.
Appeals court rules against father in DCS dispute
A father fighting child welfare investigations that resulted in his son’s removal from his custody has lost his appeals of multiple motions granted by the trial court that damaged his case.
Fort Wayne man gets suspended sentence for molesting 2 teens
A Fort Wayne man who once faced 13 charges related to child molesting has avoided time in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor.
Woman loses sentence appeal in daughter’s neglect death
A Chesterfield mother who pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in the death of her 23-month old daughter has lost an appeal of her 40-year sentence.