WEST TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A West Terre Haute 65-year-old man is in custody after police said he admitted to his wife to fondling a very young child during the total solar eclipse.
That’s according to court documents filed in the case against Robert A. Elkins, of Concannon Avenue in West Terre Haute. Elkins faces a singular felony charge of child molesting. Vigo County Jail records show Elkins is currently being held on a $100,000 bond with no 10% allowed.
A probable cause affidavit filed in the case reveals what caused police to begin investigating Elkins.
Police said the victim’s mother contacted them on April 11 after Elkin’s wife had called them saying he had told her that he’d fondled the victim, referred to as PERSON 1 in the court documents.
“On 4/10/2024 around 9:30 a.m. her husband of 41 years, Robert Elkins, told her that he had fondled [PERSON 1]. He stated to her, ‘I fondled [PERSON 1].’ When she asked him why, all he could say was, ‘I spaced it.'”
Probable Cause Affidavit filed in Vigo County Court
The woman then told Elkins he needed to report this to police, and he reportedly agreed to go to the police station. However several hours later, the jail and police had told the woman that Elkins had never shown up. The woman later learned that Elkins had gotten into a crash and had been flown to Indianapolis for treatment of his injuries at that time.
Police said the victim’s mother found home security footage that showed Elkins on the front lawn the day of the eclipse with the victim. In the video the mother said you could see Elkins touching himself while sticking his hands in the child’s diaper.
Elkins’ wife told police the man had been “acting panicky, on edge, jumpy, and irritable” in the days since the incident.
Jail logs show that Elkins was booked into the jail on May 29. During a hearing in Vigo County Superior Court 1 on Monday Elkin’s was appointed a public defender to represent him in the case.
A jury trial has been scheduled for 1 p.m. on September 16.
