Thomas Russell, a 39-year-old man from Washington County, Indiana, currently faces three counts of battery with an injury to a person under 14 years old. The charges stem from a Nov. 9 incident that reportedly occurred during a birthday party held at Delaney Creek Park.
According to WDRB, a judge entered a preliminary not guilty plea for Russell on Nov. 12, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. During the proceedings, the judge noted that the official report described a large bite mark on the shoulder of one of the children involved. The judge remarked, “I mean, this is very abhorrent behavior,” adding, “I don’t know that I’ve seen an adult charged with biting children.”
WHAS reported that the Washington County Sheriff’s Office began its investigation after a woman reported a large bite mark on her 9-year-old son’s back. While officers looked into that report, they learned that the father of a 10-year-old boy was heading to the park to confront Russell. The police met the father at the park, and the second child told officers that Russell bit him on the wrist.
The children told police the bites came when they wouldn’t give up the ball
According to WHAS, the arrest citation notes that the children told the police these incidents happened while they were playing basketball. They reportedly fell at different times during the game while holding the ball and told police they were bitten by Russell because they would not let him take the ball from them. The police noted that multiple children reported that Russell told the group during the game that “biting is allowed.”
Beyond the basketball game, another 9-year-old boy told the police that he and Russell started to “leg wrestle” inside a rented cabin at the park, WHAS reported. The child told police that Russell punched him in the groin during this exchange. When officers interviewed other children present at the birthday party, they reportedly stated that they saw Russell biting and punching the boys.
The outlet noted that when police spoke to Russell at the cabin, he admitted to playing basketball with the children but denied the biting allegations. He reportedly told investigators that he was having a birthday party for his child at the park.
WDRB reported that Russell’s attorney argued for a $500 bond, noting that Russell cooperated with law enforcement and lacks a criminal history. Prosecutors, however, requested a $75,000 cash bond. Judge Larry Medlock ultimately set the bond at $30,000 cash and ordered Russell to “not attend any sporting events in which the victims are participating in, even those events that would include his own child.”
According to WHAS, Russell is expected back in court on Dec. 10 at 9:00 AM. The court records show that a jury trial is scheduled to begin in March 2027.
Published: Nov 13, 2026 04:15 pm