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Poland man receives 50-year prison sentence
GREENCASTLE -- A Poland man was handed a 50-year prison sentence Thursday in Putnam County Circuit Court.
Kenneth M. Carson Sr., 52, was convicted on two counts of Class A felony child molesting. Judge Matthew Headley sentenced Carson to 50 years at the Indiana Department of Correction with 35 years executed.
The charges were brought against Carson after it was discovered he had molested a 3 and a half-year-old relative. The molestation took place in Putnam County.
"Mr. Carson deserves every day of this sentence," said Putnam County Prosecutor Tim Bookwalter. "He has a long criminal history, and then molests a 3-year-old. The only place to protect society is prison."
Carson was also found to be a violent sexual predator, which means if he is ever released from prison he will be on lifetime GPS monitoring.
A warrant for Carson's arrest was issued on Aug. 12, 2009. He appeared for his initial hearing on Feb. 15.
Carson's bond was set at $100,000 cash only, and he had been in jail ever since his arrest.
Court records said Carson initially denied doing anything to his victim. He told police he was trying to mend his relationship with the victim's father.
Carson described his victims to police as "spoiled rotten." He said the child threw fits, but was "a good kid."
Carson admitted to police that he had been in prison six times, and that he had "met many people who are serving time because some child was mad at them and lied, and now they are in prison and they didn't do anything."
Carson agreed to take a polygraph test, which he failed.
Eventually, he admitted to touching his victim's bare anus with his finger, as well as inserting the tip of his finger into the child's anus. Carson said the incident occurred when he and the victim were in Carson's vehicle driving to Cloverdale on I-70.
Carson said he "had no idea why he did it," and that when the victim asked him to stop, he did.
The victim had said during interviews that Carson performed other sex acts on him, but Carson never admitted to any others.
"(Carson) was very upset and claiming he was a terrible person," a case narrative said. "He was more worried about how long he will be in prison."
According to an officer at the Putnam County Jail, Carson was immediately transferred to an Indiana Department of Correction facility.
Carson's other convictions for which he received prison sentences included voluntary manslaughter, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, intimidation and battery.