Staff Report

Brian P. Cox

COLUMBIA CITY — A Columbia City man was recently arrested after allegedly molesting a child several times.

Brian P. Cox, 26, 4614 E. Old Trail Road Lot 46, Columbia City, is charged with two counts of child molesting, both level 1 felonies.

On March 31, a Whitley County Sheriff’s officer was contacted by a Columbia City Police officer regarding a child molestation report. The Columbia City officer said an elementary school principal contacted him about a parent reporting child molestation.

According to court documents, the officer and a Department of Child Services worker met with the principal. The principal suspected something had happened to the child since Christmas. She said the school had records of concerns, including reports related to their attendance and health office visits.

The principal also said the child exhibited new behavioral issues. She said the child told her Cox was mean and that they didn’t want to be home alone with him.

Officers then interviewed the child and their mother about what occurred. The mother said she got home and heard Cox speaking in the bathroom. She felt uneasy and opened the shower curtain to see her child in there with Cox.

The mother saw Cox touching the child inappropriately in the shower and the child inappropriately touching Cox. She told Cox to leave the house.

Court documents state the child told officers the molestations occurred more than once. They said they were in the shower first when Cox entered and asked them to wash his back. The child also said they had been inappropriately touched by Cox in a bedroom.

The child was then taken in for a forensic interview. During the interview, they elaborated on how Cox entered the shower and said that wasn’t the first time.

They also said penetration had previously occurred between them and Cox; Cox told the child not to tell their mother about what happened.

He said if the child reported what happened, he would go away and they would never see him again. Cox also showed the child pornographic videos.

While the interviews were being conducted, an Indiana State Police detective picked up Cox from a residence. In an interview, Cox admitted to engaging in sexual activity with the child the night before and denied sexual contact with any other children.

Cox told officers he was in a motorcycle accident in June 2020 and that he was “messed up in the head” as a result. He said he was married to the child’s mother and that she has four children.

Cox admitted to inappropriately touching the child and attempting penetration. He said he couldn’t remember if the first incident with the child occurred before or after his motorcycle accident.

Cox was booked in the Whitley County Jail on March 31.