Alleged child molester attacked in jail

11-19-2007 Indiana:

Indianapolis - An Indianapolis man accused of child molestation was attacked at the Marion County Jail Monday evening.

Ron Eiland, 59, was asleep in his cell around 10:30 p.m. Sunday when two inmates approached, then assaulted him. Eiland alerted the jail staff, who came to his aid, and he told them he fell out of his bunk. After he was transported to another cell, he told officers about the assault.

Eiland faces charges after police say he molested a nine-year-old girl as she slept on his couch. He turned himself into Metro Police Friday.

Eiland was first investigated by police after he allegedly had the nine-year-old girl talk to a phone sex operator while fondling himself at his home in September. The victim was visiting Eiland's daughter at the time. That operator called police, who accuse Eiland of molesting the girl later that evening. The victim's father called police last month.

"The phone sex operator knew this individual by name. He said he'd called the operator in the past but not on this particular evening," said Sgt. Paul Thompson, IMPD.

Police say those two events gave them enough evidence to obtain a search warrant for Eiland's home where a computer was confiscated.

"I guess I kind of left the world and went to a horror show," said Dee Stafford, describing her reaction to her son's arrest.

For the last ten years, Ron Eiland has worked at his mother's Castleton day care center, although according to Stafford, her son never had direct contact with The Lil' Sprouts Learning Center's 155 children.

"He would never be allowed anywhere near our children. His children at home, wherever, until he's exonerated," said Stafford.

Eiland is accused of touching the girl while she and his daughter were asleep on a couch in his home. Prosecutors say the phone sex operator told police that Eiland told her the victim was a friend of the family. Eiland denies placing the call that night.

Police did not arrest Eiland in September because they say they did not have enough evidence, but officers did report the alleged incident to Child Protective Services. ..more.. by WTHR.com