Court Documents Allege Horrific Abuse At Foster Home

What authorities saw in the videos contained in the cell phone was disturbing.

Diane C. Combs and Timothy S. Combs. Photo by Dearborn County Sheriff's Department.

(Aurora, Ind.) - A Dearborn County couple are facing a total of 26 criminal counts for allegedly abusing children in their care.

Timothy and Diane Combs are in jail at the Dearborn County Law Enforcement Center following their arrests Friday, August 31.

Dearborn County Sheriff’s deputies were alerted to the abuse by a citizen who received video of abuse allegedly taking place at the Combs’ home on Jeanie Drive in Aurora. A deputy went to the home and retrieved a cell phone from a 15-year-old foster child staying with the couple.

What authorities saw in the videos contained in the cell phone was disturbing. Diane Combs allegedly smacked a naked six-year-old boy in the face, knocking him to the ground. Caseworkers with the Indiana Department of Child Services were called in to assist with the investigation.

Since 2014, the Combs fostered 38 different children, investigators said. They adopted a 16-year-old mentally and physically disabled girl. Three other children ranging from two to three years old were babysat in the home.

The six children living in the home when the investigation began were interviewed separately at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Southeastern Indiana in Dillsboro. In addition to two 15-year-olds, they were ages 18, six, four and two.

The children shared with forensic interviewers about the repeated physical abuse at the hands of both Diane and Timothy Combs. The abuse went far beyond so-called “whoopings”. Children were thrown across rooms, hit on the finger with wooden spoons, dropped on their heads, and struck with various objects.

The victims also told of how younger children were made to put wet diapers in their mouths when they wet the bed at night – video of one such incident was viewed by deputies. One child told the interviewer that Diane caused pain to his private parts.

Deputies noted in a court affidavit that Diane and Timothy Combs declined to speak with investigators.

Diane C. Combs, 55, is charged with five counts of Attempted Aggravated Battery (level 3 felony), four counts of Domestic Battery on a Child Under Age 14 Years Resulting in Injury (level 5 felony), two counts of Domestic Battery on a Child Under Age 14 Years Resulting in Injury (level 6 felony), as well as single counts of Domestic Battery on a Child with a Mental or Physical Disability Resulting in Injury (level 5 felony), Battery by Bodily Waste on a Child Under Age 14 Years (level 6 felony), Strangulation (level 6 felony), and Sexual Battery (level 6 felony).

Timothy S. Combs, 59, faces a list of charges including four counts of Attempted Aggravated Battery (level 3 felony), three counts of Domestic Battery on a Child Under Age 14 Years Resulting in Injury (level 5 felony), and two counts of Domestic Battery in the Presence of a Child Under Age 16 Years (level 6 felony). He also faces single counts of Domestic Battery on a Child with a Mental or Physical Disability Resulting in Injury (level 5 felony) and Attempted Strangulation (level 6 felony).

The Combs were due to appear in Dearborn County court Tuesday morning.