Christopher Lumpkins
Both the prosecution and defense thought a plea bargain would be ready to present in Bartholomew Superior Court 1 Tuesday for a suspect accused of child molesting.
But when Tuesday’s change of plea hearing for Christopher D. Lumpkins, 55, got underway, public defender Greg Long told Judge James Worton a mutually acceptable agreement had not been reached. Long also said that since he had been anticipating a plea agreement, he was unprepared for the trial scheduled to begin in just one week.
With no objections from the prosecutor, new court dates have been scheduled by Worton to allow Long preparation time. Another change of plea hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on April 1, a pre-trial conference at 11 a.m. on April 15, and a trial tentatively scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on April 30.
Lumpkins, who has lived at multiple Columbus locations for short periods of time, is charged with one count of child molesting as a Level 1 felony, and two counts of child molesting as a Level 4 felony. If convicted on all three charges, the defendant could be sent to prison for as long as 64 years, as well as ordered to pay fines of up to $30,000.
While Lumpkins is charged with repeatedly molesting one child in Columbus beginning in January, 2020, the sexual abuse began much earlier at an out-of-county location when the female victim was only 5, according to court documents. When Lumpkins was arrested, detectives stated they believe the victim was molested over a period of several years.
The molestations reportedly ended in October 2021, according to court documents. Seven months later, the victim saw Lumpkins as she was returning home from a park and insisted he tell her mother of the sexual assaults. The report states Lumpkins did as the girl insisted and the mother called police. Court records indicated a no contact order was immediately issued by Worton to protect the victim.
When questioned in May 2022, Lumpkins told investigators he did whatever acts the victim was accusing him of committing, court documents state. Lumpkins claimed he could not provide any additional details because a stroke had wiped away much of his memory, according to the report.
Investigators located a prior incident that was reported to the Boyd County, Kentucky, Sheriff’s Department where Lumpkins was the suspect in a sexual abuse case involving a separate victim, the report states.
Lumpkins remains incarcerated at the Bartholomew County Jail in lieu of $80,000 surety or 10% cash.
