A 32-year-old Tyner man was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in the Indiana Department of Correction for child molesting. Derek Cole will also be a lifetime sex offender.
He previously pleaded guilty in Marshall Superior Court to performing sex acts on a friend’s daughter in the bedroom of her Culver home in 2009, according to court documents. The victim did not report the abuse right away.
Marshall County Prosecuting Attorney Nelson Chipman notes most sex crimes committed against “the most innocent victims” are perpetuated by people their families know and trust. He urges parents to remain vigilant and report such crimes when their children disclose abuse. Chipman adds child molesters rely on victims remaining silent, sometimes for years. He says parents and other adults need to report crimes, even if they happened years earlier, and “trust that trained law enforcement will try its best to get to the truth.”
Cole is considered a credit-restricted felon, due to the nature of the charges. That means he will get one day of credit for every six days he serves in prison.
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