A child at-risk was quickly moved out of possible danger thanks to a very fast response by the Greene County Department of Child Services and the Greene County Sheriff’s Department after they received a tip about a child molestation. An investigation followed, and yesterday a warrant was issued for the suspect’s arrest.

Troy Lee Tindell, age 50, is accused of inappropriate sexual behavior with a child who is under the age of 10. Court records show Tindell with a home address on North State Road 13 in Pierceton, Ind., but he was living with a woman in Owensburg, Ind., at the time of the alleged incidents. Incidents involving child molestation allegedly took place at her home in Owensburg.

Det. Sgt. James O’Malley of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department has been investigating, along with Investigator Julie Criger of the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office, Case Manager Karen Roach from the Greene County Department of Child Services, and possibly others.

The investigation, started in late June, has been ongoing and resulted in Greene County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Keven McIntosh filing a criminal case against Tindell last Friday. A warrant was issued for Tindell’s arrest on Monday, September 10.

The preliminary charges Tindell is facing include:

Child molesting, a Level 1 felony,
Child molesting, a Level 1 felony, and
Child molesting involving fondling or touching with a child under the age of 14, a Level 4 felony.

Det. Sgt. O’Malley said the investigation started when an anonymous call was made to the Indiana Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline at 4:15 p.m. on Friday afternoon, June 29, reporting a possible incident of child molesting. From there, the information was immediately forwarded to the Greene County Department of Child Services.

In just a little over two hours from the anonymous call, at 6:27 p.m. that same day, Greene County DCS requested an officer go with a DCS case manager to make an assessment at a residence in Owensburg and GCSD Deputy Alan Jackson was dispatched.

Once they arrived, initial interviews were conducted with the Owensburg woman, with Tindell, and with the child. After these interviews, DCS Case Manager Roach determined the child might be at risk and should not stay there. The child, who was just visiting in the home and actually lives with a parent in another city in Indiana, was transported back to the parent’s home.

On Sunday, July 1, the child was taken to the Fort Wayne Sexual Assault Treatment Center in Fort Wayne for a pediatric medical forensic examination which included an interview in which the child shared details of alleged sexual encounters with Tindell.

When O’Malley interviewed the Owensburg woman at the sheriff’s department on July 2, she said after Tindell brought the child to her house on Sunday, June 24, the child had slept in her room, but on Wednesday, June 27, the child slept with Tindell in his bedroom. She allegedly said the next morning, Thursday, June 28, the child asked to use her phone to call a parent, and the child went into another room to make the call, and she could hear the child crying. The next day is when DCS and the GCSD deputy showed up.

When O’Malley interviewed Tindell at the sheriff’s department, also on July 2, Tindell allegedly said after he “met” the Owensburg woman on the internet, they discovered they were both Pagans and practiced the religion of Paganism. He said he’d known her for a while but at that time, he’d been staying at her home for about three weeks.

O’Malley said Tindell told him he has worked as an over-the-road truck driver but at that time, he was currently working for a local trucking company in Bloomington.

Tindell said the child’s family considers him to be the child’s godfather, and that he has three godchildren. He allegedly said when he was an over-the-road truck driver, he would sometimes take the child with him and on overnights, he would sleep in the bottom bunk and the child would sleep in the top bunk.

O’Malley also reported that Tindell admitted that when the child stayed at the house in Owensburg, the child had slept with him in the same bed, but he denied any inappropriate contact.

The investigation continued and in late July, O’Malley asked Tindell if he would consent to a polygraph examination. Tindell refused.

After some time had passed, the child was interviewed again, in August, by O’Malley and Investigator Criger to verify if the victim maintained the same recollection of the incidents. O’Malley reported that the victim was very consistent in describing all of the details of the incidents.

Once Tindell is in custody, his bond will be set at $95,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. It would take $9,500 cash for him to bond out of jail.