Police: Man confesses to fondling toddler

CLAYPOOL, Ind. (WANE) A Columbia City man is being held on $100.000 bond in the Kosciusko County Jail after police say he admitted to fondling a 3-year-old girl.

According to the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, on Monday officers were called to a residence in Claypool at 11:30 pm to investigate the possible molesting of a young child.

"We had a couple officers who responded to the initial call," said Sgt. Chad Hill, a public information officer with the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department.  "One stayed with the mother and the other one spoke with the child separately as well.  The story was very conducive and very similar to what the mother had described.

"The child was actually pretty shy, but gradually got comfortable with the officer.  She did give in quite detail what potentially happened.  That's when they realized they needed to speak with the male subject."

The mother of the girl told officers that earlier in the evening a female family friend had stopped by along with her brother who was identified as Zachery Robert Roderick Walsh of Columbia City.

The mother and her friend then went to Warsaw to pick up some hair supplies, leaving Walsh at the home to watch the 3-year-old and her 4-year-old sister.

"When the two females had returned from the Warsaw area, they discussed with the children what they did during their absence," Hill said.  "That's when the three-year-old indicated she had been touched in her private area.  [The mother] investigated it a little bit more and realized it was something she needed to call law enforcement about."

Officers interviewed the child who told them she had been fondled in a bedroom without her 4-year-old sister present.

"Initially, the girls were asked about it, there was some kind of tickling game or tickling had been going on," Hill said.  "I think that led to the actual fondling incident."

Deputies brought Walsh to the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department where they say he confessed to touching the girl's genital area.

He has been preliminarily been charged with child molesting, fondling or touching a child under the age of 14.

NewsChannel 15 tried to contact the victim's mother, but she could not be reached.