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NEW PALESTINE, Ind. (WKRC) – An Indiana man was accused of abusing and threatening children.
According to WXIN, 35-year-old Curtis Bordenkircher of New Palestine, Indiana, was charged after he allegedly beat multiple children with a belt and made them stand in a corner until their legs went numb or gave out.
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Court documents reviewed by the outlet state that an investigation was launched on October 17 after the Department of Child Safety received a report of alleged child abuse.
A report from the Greenfield Daily Reporter states that deputies with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office responded to the home in New Palestine on October 15 after one of the children texted their mother to inform her what Bordenkircher was doing. Upon arriving at the scene, Bordenkircher told responding deputies that everything was fine, then blamed the situation on the mother, claiming that she “manipulates” the children.
Law enforcement spoke to the children during the visit and reportedly asked if they were having a good time, according to the reports. The children began to shake their heads “no,” and the two younger children began to cry, The Daily Reporter stated.
Bordenkircher allegedly admitted to “spanking” one of the children three times and was reportedly drinking from a tall beer can while speaking with deputies at the scene.
A report from the Greenfield Daily Reporter states that four victims spoke with a child advocacy center in Indiana and gave the following accounts of alleged abuse during a visit in early October:
Victim 1:
When speaking in an interview, Victim 1 said Bordenkircher had done the following:
- Beat her with a belt
- Dragged her by the ankles
- Made her stand in a corner until her legs were numb while calling her a “disappointment, dumb, and ret***d”
Victim 2:
Another individual, identified as Victim 2, said Bordenkircher had done the following during the visit:
- Pushed her up against the wall several times
- Grabbed her by the neck
- Threatened her multiple times, including threatening to shove her through a wall if she didn’t shut her mouth
Victim 3:
During an interview, Victim 3 said Bordenkircher did the following:
- Threatened him and his siblings multiple times
- Said if they didn’t “shut up,” he would “suffocate” them with a pillow and “slaughter them in their sleep,” further claiming that the suspect had pulled a knife when he said it
- Victim 3 told police that he felt the suspect was serious and would follow through with those threats, per the publication
Victim 4:
In an interview with authorities, Victim 4 said Bordenkircher did the following:
- Would make the children stand in a corner, sometimes as long as six hours, adding that he and his siblings would sneak to the bathroom if Bordenkircher left the house for a few minutes
- “Whipped” Victim 4 with his hand, who added that it made him feel “bad”
WXIN reported that the victims told police that Bordenkircher “drinks a lot of beer” and would shove, choke, and strike them across the face.
“He drinks so much a day and then he just gets mad at us,” one of the victims told authorities, according to WXIN. “Beer, after beer, after beer.”
The suspect was accused of telling the children, “I have no sympathy for you. You stand all night,” when ordering them into the corner, WXIN’s report states.
WXIN reported that law enforcement followed up with Bordenkircher on October 22 and asked that he visit the sheriff’s office to give a statement. Bordenkircher said he would stop by the next morning but allegedly never showed up, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Bordenkircher was arrested on November 3 and charged with the following, according to WXIN:
- Neglect of a dependent (felony – four counts)
- Intimidation (felony – two counts)
The suspect was released on November 4 after posting a $600 cash bond and is scheduled to return for a pretrial conference on December 4, per WXIN. Bordenkircher was ordered to have no contact with any of the victims, the outlet reported.
If you know someone who is suffering from child abuse, you can call Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-a-child or 1-800-422-4453 or visit www.childhelp.org. All calls are confidential and toll-free. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.