MONROE — Two grandparents are headed closer to trial in Green County Circuit Court, one accused of forcing children under 8 to touch him sexually, while the other is alleged to have become aware of the alleged abuse and did nothing to stop it.
Police, acting on a tip earlier this summer, interviewed the children, leading to the August 16 arrest of the pair without incident at their Belleville home.
As a result of the ongoing investigation, on August 18, Thomas Cole 75, was charged with two counts of Repeated Sexual Assault of Same Child (at least three violations of first-degree sexual assault), all Class B Felonies. The same day Deborah Cole, 74, had criminal charges officially Issued against her one count of Fail to Act/Sexual Assault of a Child, a Class F Felony.
According to court records, Thomas Cole pleaded not guilty to the charges on Sept. 23, while Brenda Cole pleaded not guilty on Sept. 16.
Thomas Cole remains in custody at Green County Jail on a $125,000 cash bond, while Deborah Cole is free on a $5,000 signature bond, court records indicate.
Much of the abuse came while the pair were caring for the children, usually during weekly visits, according to a criminal complaint alleging the abuse and charges. While Deborah Cole was in the kitchen, the Thomas Cole would allegedly force the female victims, under 8 at the time, to rub his penis outside his clothes, often while he looked at videos on his phone.
Over the course of months, the complaint said, the incidents of abuse started to seem “normal” to the girls.
“(A child victim) advised ‘it felt normal because he usually does that’, ‘does it every other time’, ‘it doesn’t feel like weird or anything because it’s normal,’” according to the complaint.
But the alleged abuse finally came to light when apparently one of the victims tried to touch another adult the way the defendant allegedly was touching her.
“(Victim 1) advised she did not know it was ‘bad’ until (the younger victim) went in with (the adult) and she accidentally bumped ‘that’ and (he) said ‘please don’t do that again,” said the complaint.
(Victim 2) then asked why and stated (the male defendant) does that all the time.”
Thomas Cole is scheduled to appear again in court again Nov. 18 before Circuit Judge Jane Bucher. Deborah Cole, meanwhile, is scheduled to appear in court again Oct. 27.
Each count of repeated sexual assault of the same child carries the same penalty — a minimum of five years in state prison. The charge of failure to Act/Sexual Assault of Child carries a maximum possible sentence of 15 years in state prison.