Bartholomew County Man Convicted of Child Molesting, Being a Habitual Offender

A Bartholomew County man was convicted of child molesting and being a habitual offender on Thursday.
Prosecuting Attorney Lindsey Holden-Kay announced yesterday that Thomas Neal of Columbus, Indiana was convicted by a jury after a two-day trial
in Bartholomew County Circuit Court.
Detective Jason Lancaster began an investigation on March 9th of last year when the sheriff’s office received a report of offenses pertaining to sexual abuse of a child. The Sheriff’s Office conducted a full and thorough investigation that led to the arrest of Thomas Neal a couple of weeks later on March 22, 2024.
The jury deliberated for twenty minutes before reaching a verdict as to the criminal
offense and spent less than five minutes deciding the Habitual Offender enhancement. Neal is
scheduled to be sentenced on April 10th, 2025.