PUTNAM COUNTY, Ind. — A Terre Haute man was arrested in western Oklahoma after he allegedly molested a child multiple times in Putnam County.
According to court documents, Thomas McCoy was charged with:
- One count of child molesting, a Level 1 felony
- One count of child molesting, a Level 4 felony
- One count of neglect of a dependent, a Level 6 felony.
A warrant was issued for McCoy’s arrest on Sept. 17. McCoy was located on Monday in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma, which is right on the Texas Panhandle border.
This comes after the Elk City Police Department in western Oklahoma released a post on social media that they were “actively searching” for McCoy, who was seen using ATM’s at local grocery stores.
According to court documents, a 12-year-old reportedly made a disclosure of sexual abuse during a therapy session on Sept. 9. The 12-year-old reportedly identified the suspect as McCoy, a man she called her “grandfather,” but was not her biological grandfather.
In an interview with law enforcement, the 12-year-old reportedly said that McCoy had molested her.
The 12-year-old was taken to a local hospital for a sexual assault exam. During the exam, the child stated that “protection” was used during the alleged assault and McCoy disposed the used condoms in the trash.
On Sept. 10, the documents said that “several used condoms” were found in a trash dumpster on the property.
In the following days, a search warrant was requested to collect DNA from McCoy. However, law enforcement was notified that McCoy had left the home “abruptly and had his cellphone turned off.”
“(A family member) stated over the course of the investigation, Thomas McCoy began to ask further questions about the investigation and became growingly more concerned. (The family member) stated she feared he was on the run due to the investigation,” the documents said.
Officials said that McCoy’s vehicle was spotted in Illinois and Missouri before he was eventually taken into custody in western Oklahoma.
According to court documents, there was no bond set for McCoy until his initial hearing. As of this story’s publication, an initial hearing has not yet been scheduled.
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