Dad Who Molested Daughter With Cancer Gets No Jail Time At Mother’s Request

In a shocking ruling Tuesday, Indianapolis resident Jeremy Schwer, 41, plead guilty to felony child molesting, and was given a sentence of 12 years probation for molesting his own 6-year-old daughter. What makes the crime and light sentencing even more shocking is that his daughter has cancer and the molestation began after her diagnosis.

But the real clincher? Schwer received no jail time at the request of the child’s mother, Arpana, who wants him free to help provide financially for his family. Since his arrest a year ago, Schwer has been out on bail and has not had a job or contributed to the family finances, according to the Indianapolis Star. And it gets worse still — despite not working or contributing financially, Schwer has been living in the family home while out on bail.

Marion Superior Court Magistrate Steven Rubick ruled for the 12 years of probation based on a letter written to the court by the child’s mother. Deputy Prosecutor Courtney Curtis, division chief of the special victims team, expressed her disappointment with the sentencing, as she had requested nine years behind bars for Schwer, followed by three years of probation.

“This is the most horrific circumstance of a child molest case that I’ve ever seen.”

Schwer’s wife is now estranged and has filed for divorce, and the girl is now seven. The child’s mother initially contacted the Indiana Department of Child Services in 2015 after the girl revealed to her mother that she had touched her father and had been touched by him in her “peepeeluca,” the family’s nickname for genitalia. The girl also told her mother that Schwer had told her to sit on his “cat tail.”

According to court records, this occurred for approximately two years before the girl told her mother what had happened whenever she slept with her father. She had been afraid to tell anyone because Schwer told the girl if she revealed what had happened, he would go to jail. Little did he know how wrong he was.

Heavy reports that before the molestation charges came to light, the family’s plight had been profiled on several websites and they talked about the difficulty of traveling back and forth to Memphis for treatment of the child’s “extremely rare, malignant, and high grade” brain tumor. Arpana also discussed the financial difficulties involved with the girl’s care, and the strain it had put on the family.

“Whatever Jeremy and I are making, it all goes to medical bills. Life is not easy for us. It’s been really, really tough.”

During the interviews, the little girl had talked about the princess castle built for her in their home by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which remained in the home while Schwer was living there on probation. At the time it was built, the child expressed her excitement at getting the castle, but no one knew the untold horrors going on in the house when she talked about it.

“Today my daddy is going to give me a lot of surprises. Tomorrow is special.”

In addition to not doing any jail time and only getting probation, Schwer’s punishment for two years of molesting a sick child consists of having to register as a sex offender and continue his counseling. He also has to vacate the family home as his punishment for molesting his 6-year-old daughter suffering from cancer and enduring chemotherapy.

According to John W. Campbell, Schwer’s attorney, the man hasn’t been contributing financial support because he was fired from his job when the charges were initially filed and only obtained employment two weeks ago. Curtis noted that it was “unfortunate” Schwer could avoid jail time because he has an opportunity now to provide some financial support when others who can’t find a job have to go to jail.

[Photo courtesy of the Indianapolis Police Department]