HANCOCK COUNTY — As long ago as 2015, two girls told investigators, a man had been molesting them at a home in Greenfield.
Now, Abel J. Childers, 39, of the 6000 block of North Main Street, Willow Branch, has been arrested and charged with four sex crimes against children, including a Level 1 felony charge of child molesting and three felonies related to fondling or touching a child under 14. Each of those charges carries a maximum 12-year sentence.
Childers was arrested and taken to the Hancock County Jail on Thursday. He remained in jail on Friday. His estranged wife, Sarah Childers, 39, of the 3000 block of East County Road 600N was also arrested in connection with the case. She faces two felony counts of neglect and also remained in jail on Friday.
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Hancock County detectives became aware of the situation involving the two girls in October, when both were interviewed by county officials who had been asked by a family case manager to be part of a forensic interview at Kids Talk Child Advocacy Center in Anderson.
During the interview, one of the girls described multiple inappropriate encounters with Abel Childers. According to court records, the abuse began in January 2015. The court records describe multiple occasions in which Childers touched the girl inappropriately. The other girl was fondled on at least one occasion, according to the court documents.
Childers appeared before Judge Terry Snow Friday afternoon and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The judge issued a $20,000 cash bond or a $30,000 surety bond. Childers has a pretrial conference set for 9 a.m. May 15. The most serious charge against him carries a prison term of 20 to 40 years. The three other charges related to fondling a child, which are Level 4 felonies, carry a prison term of up to 12 years per count.
Sarah Childers, who records show filed for divorce from Abel Childers in February, had her bond set at $2,000. She has a pretrial conference set for 9 a.m. May 10. Her charges carry a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison.
The children have been placed in the care of the Indiana Department of Child Services.
