A 30-year-old Bloomington man is facing multiple felony child molesting charges after court documents describe abuse against three children that allegedly occurred hundreds of times over more than a decade. Brayton Arthur was babysitting the first child when the alleged abuse began, according to court records, and two more women later came forward describing similarly prolonged patterns of abuse dating back years.
Arthur has been charged with two counts of child molesting as Level 1 felonies, five counts of child molesting as Level B felonies, and one count of child molesting as a Level 4 felony, according to FOX 59. The Level B felony charges stem from incidents that allegedly occurred around 2010, when Arthur was roughly 22 years old, per the same report. Indiana State Police were contacted about a sexual assault report in July 2026, which opened the investigation that ultimately led to the charges.
The first child told investigators that Arthur touched and molested her when she was 5 years old, an incident that occurred around six or seven years before she reported it. She said she did not understand what was happening at the time and felt frozen, and described Arthur acting weird around her before taking her to her bedroom, according to the station's report.
A Second Victim Describes Years of Abuse
A second woman told investigators Arthur molested her from kindergarten through seventh grade, describing abuse occurring two to five times per week from ages 5 through 12. She was roughly 4.5 years younger than Arthur, per the same account, and her alleged abuse totaled more than 100 incidents over that span.
A third woman reported that Arthur molested her between ages 9 and 12, with abuse she said occurred hundreds of times, the outlet notes. Investigators found that Arthur had reportedly molested two other people when they were children, according to court documents cited in the report — bringing the cumulative number of alleged incidents across all three victims to approximately 300, per the same court filings.
Alleged Contact With Victims After Investigation Began
After state police opened their investigation, Arthur allegedly attempted to contact the two initial victims, asking whether they had been contacted by Indiana State Police, court filings show. Reaching out to alleged victims during an active felony investigation can factor into bond conditions or additional charges, though no such additional charges have been reported in this case.
Arthur had his initial hearing in Monroe County on Monday, according to the report. Monroe County Correctional Center records confirm he was taken into custody ahead of that hearing.
What Indiana Law Says About the Charges
Under Indiana Code § 35-42-4-3, child molestation involving sexual conduct is elevated from a baseline Level 3 felony to a Level 1 felony when the accused is 21 or older at the time of the alleged act, according to Justia Law. A Level 1 felony conviction in Indiana carries a statutory prison sentence ranging from 20 to 40 years per count, an advisory sentence of 30 years, and fines up to $10,000, per Keffer Hirschauer LLP.
Separately, fondling or touching a minor under 14 with intent to satisfy sexual desire is classified as a Level 4 felony under Indiana Code § 35-42-4-3(b), carrying a statutory prison range of 2 to 12 years, according to Banks & Brower. Indiana law also places no statute of limitations on child molestation charges, the firm notes, allowing prosecutors to file charges regardless of how many years have passed since the alleged incidents — which is how the state has been able to pursue counts stemming back to 2010 alongside more recent allegations.
Broader Patterns in Child Sexual Abuse Cases
Research from the Indiana Center for the Prevention of Youth Abuse & Suicide shows that more than 90% of child sex abuse perpetrators are individuals known, loved, or trusted by the victim, with roughly half being non-family members known to the victim such as babysitters or family friends. A 2022 state data report from the Child Welfare League of America found that sexual abuse represented 11.3% of all substantiated child maltreatment victims across Indiana that year.
The case remains in its early stages following Arthur's initial hearing, and it is not yet clear how prosecutors will proceed on the full set of charges. FOX 59 has not reported any additional charges tied to the alleged contact between Arthur and the two initial victims after the investigation began.
