Morgan County man pleads guilty to child molesting
MARTINSVILLE — A former Indiana minister waived his right to a trial Monday and pleaded guilty to two counts of child molesting.
William Bruce McDaniel, 74, pleaded guilty in Morgan County Superior County to one count of child molesting, a class C felony, and one count of child molesting, fondling or touching a child under 14, a level 4 felony.
McDaniel, of Paragon, faces up to five years in prison for each count. He appeared in court Monday afternoon with his attorney, John Boren, before Morgan County Superior Court Judge Brian H. Williams.
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McDaniel was charged in September 2020 following an investigation by the Morgan County Sheriff's Office. His wife, Peggy McDaniel, was also charged for failure to make report of the incident as required by law. She pleaded guilty in June and was sentenced to 60 days in jail.
This is the second time William McDaniel has had to answer to accusations of child molesting, having been charged in June 2011 with molesting a girl under the age of six and later found not guilty following a jury trial.
The sheriff's office first learned of the recent accusations against him when a family member came forward to say their daughter had been molested by McDaniel at his South Vickery home between 2013 and 2017.
The girl said that McDaniel's wife, Peggy, walked in on them while McDaniel was touching her.
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As part of his plea agreement, McDaniel was ordered to have no contact with the victim for the duration of his sentence.
Sentencing in the case is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. on Jan. 10, 2022.
Contact reporter Peter Blanchard at 765-346-2942 or pblanchard@reporter-times.com. Follow him on Twitter @peterlblanchard.
This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: Former Indiana minister pleads guilty to child molesting
