A former chaplain from Southport, who previously served with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, faces serious allegations of having sexually abused a child more than 100 times.
Sylvester Driscoll, 73, is now in custody at the Marion County Jail facing initial allegations of child molestation, classified as a Level 1 felony.
Court documents reveal that authorities initiated an investigation into the serious allegations of sexual assault and child abuse after the young victim disclosed to her school counselor in August that she had been subjected to years of rape and sexual abuse by Driscoll.
The child’s educator informed authorities that the victim displayed indications of sexual abuse, such as expressing discomfort and pain in her private areas. The young individual remained silent regarding the accusations until a meeting with the school counselor on August 28, which led to a notification to DCS and law enforcement.
Legal filings indicate that the young girl informed authorities that Driscoll had been exposing her to explicit videos of adults since the age of 5. Shortly thereafter, the initial incident of sexual assault involving Driscoll reportedly took place.
The documents reveal that the child informed investigators that Driscoll had raped and sexually abused her “like 100 times” over the past few years, often making threats to prevent her from speaking out.
Authorities approached Driscoll on September 18 to inform him of the allegations brought against him. Driscoll declined to communicate with law enforcement without legal representation and was taken into custody on an initial charge of child molestation.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has verified that Driscoll served as a civilian employee from June 1996 until May 2019, but is no longer affiliated with the department.
Driscoll previously served as a chaplain for the Southport Police Department but stepped down several years back.
“Since his retirement, Mr. Driscoll has had no official affiliation with the Southport Police Department,” a spokesperson for Southport police said.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will decide on the official charges.
If Driscoll is charged and found guilty of a Level 1 felony, he may be looking at a maximum sentence of 50 years behind bars.