Relative gets 4 years for molesting girl

Herald Bulletin - 3/7/2017

March 07--ANDERSON -- An Anderson man was taken into custody Monday after being sentenced to four years in prison for molesting a 13-year-old relative.

Bobby Lee Moore, 33, 600 block of Belzer Drive, who had pleaded guilty, was sentenced to four years in prison, two years in Community Corrections and given two years suspended by Madison County Circuit Court 1 Judge Angela Warner-Sims.

Moore was arrested on a warrant Sept. 21 after probable cause was found on Sept. 15, according to court documents. He was charged with Level 4 felony child molesting fondling or touching with a child younger than 14.

"Certainly, it's not every day a supportive victim comes before the court and asks for less than prison time," Warner-Sims said. "You violated her, and she was still here today protecting you. That is beyond imaginable."

Moore had changed his plea to guilty under an agreement filed on Feb. 6. In exchange, a Class C felony child molest charge was dismissed.

According to a probable cause affidavit prepared Sept. 7 by Deputy Jim Sundheimer, a woman contacted the Madison County Sheriff's Department after her adult daughter's ex-boyfriend told her Moore had touched the child inappropriately while she slept. The incident reportedly occurred on Aug. 26.

The girl also described in a forensic interview conducted at Kids Talk a similar incident involving Moore a few months earlier, the affidavit said. Similar incidents occurred up to eight times, the affidavit said.

"She said this has been happening since she was about 4 years old and she has been too scared to tell anyone. She said it always happens at night while she is in bed," the affidavit said.

According to the affidavit, Moore admitted going into the child's room to check her cellphone but denied touching her inappropriately.

"At the moment, the court is not certain whether it's more concerning that these incidents happened or that the victim has to be the adult or that she felt the need to protect a younger sibling," Warner-Sims said.

The judge acknowledged that Moore had taken some "affirmative steps" through counseling with Donald Allbaugh and that some adjustments may need to be made to a no-contact order once he is released from prison.

"The court is mindful of the difficult family dynamics that may be at play upon your release from the Department of Correction," she said.

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