A retired Southport chaplain who also worked for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is accused of sexually abusing an 8-year-old child “over 100 times” since she was as young as five years old.
Sylvester Driscoll, 73, is currently being held in the Marion County Jail on preliminary charges of child molestation, a Level 1 felony.
Driscoll Allegedly Forced the Victim to Watch Porn
The girl told police the sexual abuse, including rape, happened more than 100 times over the last one to two years, the court documents say. The child described the abuse to police as “gross.” She said she was forced to watch porn when she was 5 years old. The first sexual assault by Driscoll allegedly occurred not long after that.
Police on Wednesday arrested Driscoll. Beyond the former work with Southport police, he’d also worked with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department as a civilian employee for more than 20 years before leaving in 2019. Driscoll doesn’t have a criminal history. He was being held without bond. A court hearing was set for Monday.
According to the court documents, the adult who reported the abuse to Indiana Department of Child Services said she noticed the child was exhibiting sexual abuse behavior, including complaining of irritation and pains in her privates.
The child didn’t speak up about the allegations until a session with the school counselor on Aug. 28 that prompted a call to DCS and police.
Driscoll Threatened to Throw Away the Child’s Toys if She Told Anyone
The child didn’t speak up about the allegations until a session with the school counselor on Aug. 28 that prompted a call to DCS and police. The girl said threats were made to “throw away her toys” if she told anyone, and she said there may be a second girl, too.
“Since his retirement, Mr. Driscoll has had no official affiliation with the Southport Police Department,” a spokesperson for Southport police said. If convicted of the charges, Driscoll could face up to 50 years in prison.
