Child molester convicted for 2nd time

ANGOLA, Ind. (WANE) - A Steuben County Circuit Court jury deliberated for approximately three hours before finding Decatur man, Bradley A Combs, 47, guilty of child molestation, a class C felony Wednesday.

Combs was found guilty of fondling his step-daughter between June 2004 and April 2005 at their home in Hamilton, Indiana.

The victim, who was six or seven-years-old at the time, testified that Combs molested her while giving her a bath and then paid her $5.00 not to tell her mother.

Combs was previously convicted of child exploitation in Adams County in 1996.

As a result of the Adams County conviction, Combs was a registered sex offender when he committed this crime. This conviction makes him a repeat sexual offender and eligible for sentence enhancement on April 6, 2009, at which time, Combs could be sentenced to as much as 18 years in prison.

The lead investigator in the case, Detective Kevin Smith, Indiana State Police Criminal Investigation Division, said that the testimony of the young victim, now 10 years of age, and the courage that she displayed on the witness stand was the difference in the trial. Detective Smith also praised the work of the Steuben County Prosecutor’s Office, the Decatur Police Department, the Steuben County Division of Family and Children and the Child Advocacy Center at St. Joe Hospital.