Powell
A Franklin man is now facing his sixth charge of child molesting in less than three months after police say he made a child touch him inappropriately.
Anthony S. Powell, 32, was charged with one additional count of child molesting as a Level 4 felony on Friday. Powell was previously charged on March 31 with three counts of child molesting as a Level 1 felony, and two counts of child molesting as a Level 4 felony.
The Indiana Department of Child Services reported the incidents to Franklin police in March, according to court documents.
The child told police Powell had made them touch his genitals while they were at a birthday party in October 2021. The child and a witness — another child — were laying in a bounce house when Powell entered the bounce house while intoxicated. Powell laid down with the children, and placed the child’s hand on top of his genitals, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Johnson County Superior Court 3 Wednesday.
The witness left the bounce house shortly after this to grab blankets, and when they returned with blankets, Powell grabbed the child’s hand again and put it inside his pants. The child and the witness then left the bounce house and the child told the witness what happened. The children then reentered the bounce house and the witness laid down between them to shield the child from Powell, the affidavit says.
When police spoke with Powell on March 23, he denied the allegations. He later admitted to being in the bounce house, but said he left after bouncing for a moment, the affidavit says.
A warrant was issued for Powell’s arrest on Friday. He was taken to the Johnson County jail the same day on a $6,000 bond, which was paid later that day, according to jail booking records.
In Powell’s earlier case filed on March 31, a child told police Powell had touched them and had made them touch him inappropriately multiple times since March 2020. Sometimes, Powell tied the abuse to requests from the child; every time the child asked him for something he told the child he would only fulfill the request if the child performs a sexual act for him, according to another probable cause affidavit filed in Johnson County Superior Court 3.
On other occasions, Powell asked the child if they could have sexual intercourse, and they did so several times, the affidavit says.
Powell allegedly told the child not to tell anyone or else he would be going away for a long-time, and that if he was happy, everyone was happy. The victim said they delayed reporting the molestation because they were afraid of the consequences, the affidavit says.
This child also told police the molesting stopped after police and DCS came to her home, according to the affidavit.
When police spoke with Powell on March 23, he also denied these allegations, according to the affidavit.
Powell’s next hearing for the March 31 case is on July 21. An initial hearing has not yet been set for the case filed last week, online court records show.
