Cromwell Man’s Molesting Plea Brings 30-Year Prison Sentence
December 21, 2018 at 5:47 p.m.
Cromwell Man’s Molesting Plea Brings 30-Year Prison Sentence
By David [email protected]
The 30 years was the maximum sentence Earl R. Campbell, 48, could receive under his plea agreement. He did receive 137 days of jail time credit.
A second count of level 1 felony child molesting was dismissed.
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Campbell is to have no contact with his victim and pay $1,109.87 restitution to the Bowen Center. In addition to any fines, costs and fees, Campbell is to reimburse Kosciusko County $300 for the court-appointed counsel.
Kosciusko County Superior Court I Judge David Cates also said Campbell must register as a violent sexual predator.
On Aug. 2, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department deputy Thomas Waikel responded to a report of child molesting.
A girl he spoke with told him another girl under the age of 14 told her that Campbell had sex with her.
The victim told Waikel that Campbell penetrated her genitalia. She told him to stop and he wouldn’t.
The victim told someone from the Dr. Bill Lewis Center for Children, Fort Wayne, that Campbell had been touching her inappropriately for three years. She said the last time it occurred was on July 25. Campbell used his hands to rub her and used his fingers to penetrate her. He then removed her clothing and had sex with her. The victim said this occurred on several Wednesdays before July 25.
KCSD deputy Shane Bucher spoke with Campbell, who admitted that on July 11 he took off the victim’s clothes, took off his pants and got on top of the victim.
Court documents stated Campbell admitted this type of activity had been occurring over the last two months.
In the court room Thursday, Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brad Voelz said, “This crime makes a lot of people angry. In this case, I’ve never felt anything but sad.”
He said he was sad when he talked to Campbell’s attorney, Matthew J. Buehler, about the case and sad when he saw Campbell’s history as Campbell’s childhood seemed “terrible enough for him.”
Voelz said no one deserves what happened to Campbell, so there was some sympathy in his history. On the other hand, Voelz said if Campbell “had that in his history, how can he do that to someone else?”
He said he thought the remedy for Campbell was prison for a long time.
Buehler said Campbell’s accepted his responsibility in this case since it began. This was Campbell’s first felony so that should be a mitigating factor, he said.
Campbell said this was something he will have to deal with his entire life. “I thought I could keep it from happening, I wasn’t able to,” he said in a very quiet voice.
Cates credited Campbell for taking responsibility for his choices.
“I’m sorry you had your path, but you had no right to inflict it on someone else either,” Cates said before handing down the sentence.
The 30 years was the maximum sentence Earl R. Campbell, 48, could receive under his plea agreement. He did receive 137 days of jail time credit.
A second count of level 1 felony child molesting was dismissed.
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Campbell is to have no contact with his victim and pay $1,109.87 restitution to the Bowen Center. In addition to any fines, costs and fees, Campbell is to reimburse Kosciusko County $300 for the court-appointed counsel.
Kosciusko County Superior Court I Judge David Cates also said Campbell must register as a violent sexual predator.
On Aug. 2, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department deputy Thomas Waikel responded to a report of child molesting.
A girl he spoke with told him another girl under the age of 14 told her that Campbell had sex with her.
The victim told Waikel that Campbell penetrated her genitalia. She told him to stop and he wouldn’t.
The victim told someone from the Dr. Bill Lewis Center for Children, Fort Wayne, that Campbell had been touching her inappropriately for three years. She said the last time it occurred was on July 25. Campbell used his hands to rub her and used his fingers to penetrate her. He then removed her clothing and had sex with her. The victim said this occurred on several Wednesdays before July 25.
KCSD deputy Shane Bucher spoke with Campbell, who admitted that on July 11 he took off the victim’s clothes, took off his pants and got on top of the victim.
Court documents stated Campbell admitted this type of activity had been occurring over the last two months.
In the court room Thursday, Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brad Voelz said, “This crime makes a lot of people angry. In this case, I’ve never felt anything but sad.”
He said he was sad when he talked to Campbell’s attorney, Matthew J. Buehler, about the case and sad when he saw Campbell’s history as Campbell’s childhood seemed “terrible enough for him.”
Voelz said no one deserves what happened to Campbell, so there was some sympathy in his history. On the other hand, Voelz said if Campbell “had that in his history, how can he do that to someone else?”
He said he thought the remedy for Campbell was prison for a long time.
Buehler said Campbell’s accepted his responsibility in this case since it began. This was Campbell’s first felony so that should be a mitigating factor, he said.
Campbell said this was something he will have to deal with his entire life. “I thought I could keep it from happening, I wasn’t able to,” he said in a very quiet voice.
Cates credited Campbell for taking responsibility for his choices.
“I’m sorry you had your path, but you had no right to inflict it on someone else either,” Cates said before handing down the sentence.
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