Anderson firefighter charged with molestation

ANDERSON, Ind. (WISH) - An Anderson firefighter – and brother to the city’s mayor – has been arrested on accusations of child molestation, Indiana State Police said.

ISP arrested Martin “Skip” Ockomon, 46, at his Anderson home Tuesday.

Skip Ockomon’s lawyer, though, said the allegations – that date back to the late 1980s and 1990s – were investigated by police and the case was closed more than a decade ago.

“I'm a little surprised,” said Bryan Williams attorney for Skip Ockomon.

According to court documents, Skip Okomon is accused of fondling and touching two relatives and another female.

Williams said Skip Ockomon denies the accusations.

“We will deal with it, and he adamantly denies it,” Williams said.

According to the probable cause affidavit, one of the victims said she was 5 years old when Skip Okomon started molesting her.

Court documents said the victim told her mother, but her mother didn’t report the allegations. The victim also said she told an Anderson Police Department officer: Roger Ockomon, brother to Skip and Kris. The Madison County prosecuting attorney says Roger Ockomon failed to tell prosecutors about the accusation.

But Williams said the case was handled properly, adding that the initial investigator, Dale Coons, has since died. The lawyer was also confident his client’s name will be cleared.

“This investigation happened once before, and it was closed,” Williams said.

The women accusing Skip Okomon are all adults now.

Indiana State Police said in a news release Tuesday that victims came forward late in 2010 to report incidents that allegedly occurred in the 1990s. After an investigation, the case was turned over to Special Prosecutor Tami Napier earlier this month. Madison Circuit Court on Tuesday issued a warrant for Ockomon’s arrest, ISP said.

He faces preliminary charges of two counts of criminal deviate conduct, a Class B felony, one count of sexual misconduct with a minor, a Class B felony, and three counts of child molestation, a Class D felony.
Hours after Skip Ockomon’s arrest, Anderson's mayor – Skip’s brother Kris Okomon - bonded him out of the Madison County Jail. Bond was set at $20,000.

Kris Ockomon lost his bid for re-election earlier this month .