Neal
A suspect accused of child molesting has had a change of plea hearing moved to later this year.
Thomas E. Neal, 58, 2929 Joann Drive, is charged in Bartholomew Circuit Court with one count of child molesting as a Level 1 felony. If convicted, the resident of the Heritage Heights subdivision could face 20 to 40 years in prison.
Protective orders were immediately issued by Bartholomew Circuit Judge Kelly Benjamin in late March to protect the alleged victim and her family. The judge has refused to lower Neal’s $250,000 bond. As of Monday, he was still being held at the Bartholomew County Jail.
A change of plea hearing was scheduled Monday morning, but Chief Deputy Prosecutor Kimberly Sexton-Yeager said all hearings regarding Neal were rescheduled to enable the state and defense to gather more evidence and conduct interviews.
The change of plea hearing or pre-trial conference is currently scheduled for 9 a.m. on Oct. 28. His trial is tentatively scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on Nov. 19.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officers were informed of the alleged molestations on March 9 after an 8-year-old girl told her mother she had been molested on several occasions by her male babysitter.
During an interview at the Child Advocacy Center of Southeastern Indiana in Greensburg, the girl said the molestations had occurred over a period of three months. The investigator also stated Neal would occasionally show the child pornography.
The alleged victim also told investigators that Neal promised to buy her an iPad if she kept quiet about the conduct, the officer wrote.
