Staff Reports
A 57-year-old Brown County man faces a felony after an investigation by the Department of Child Services and the Brown County Sheriff’s Department alleged that he beat a 2-year-old who’d had a bathroom accident.
John Campbell, of Salt Creek Road, was charged Oct. 3 with battery resulting in bodily injury to a person less than 14 years of age, a Level 5 felony.
On Sept. 25, Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Horn heard from a DCS case worker who said that their office had received a report that a 2-year-old had been taken to the Indiana University Health Bloomington Hospital with facial bruising and scratches.
Det. Brian Shrader reported that the child had been staying with Campbell from Sept. 21 to 22. He was returned to his guardian on Sept. 23, and the guardian contacted DCS and took the child to the hospital on Sept. 24.
On Sept. 25, Shrader met with two witnesses who were at the home that weekend. The first witness told Shrader that Campbell became mad at the 2-year-old who’d had a toilet accident. She said Campbell went into the bathroom and threw the child around, hitting him. She said she didn’t see the incident, but she did hear the child screaming and crying the entire time, the affidavit states.
The second witness told Shrader the accident occurred after they returned home from church. She took the child into the bathroom to help clean him up. She said Campbell walked by and saw what happened, then he started beating the child. She left the room to clean up the child’s clothes, and when she returned, she reported seeing Campbell throw the child through the air against the toilet, the affidavit states.
Shrader reported reviewing photos of the child’s face and seeing finger outlines. There were scratches and bruises around these marks. He reported that based on the size of the finger outlines, it was obvious an adult hand was likely the cause of the marks, the affidavit states.
Campbell was arrested on Sept. 25. He was booked into the Brown County jail at 4:15 p.m. and posted $5,000 bond to be released at 5:08 p.m., according to jail records.
