DELHI - Delaware County District Attorney Shawn Smith and Sheriff Craig DuMond held a joint press conference Friday, Aug. 1, at the Public Safety Building in Delhi to announce a 25-count felony indictment against a Hobart man in a sweeping child sex abuse case. The indictment, returned by a Delaware County grand jury on Thursday, July 31, includes charges spanning from 2020 through Trimbell’s arrest in June 2025 and involves four alleged victims.
Smith emphasized the seriousness and scale of the case, as well as the importance of safeguarding due process. “This is an indictment. This defendant hasn’t been convicted. Just like every defendant, he is presumptively innocent and he’s entitled to due process and a fair trial. We’re going to make sure he gets that,” Smith said.
The charges include multiple counts of rape in the first and third degrees, predatory sexual assault, disseminating indecent material to minors, and sexual abuse.
Count 24, the top charge in the indictment, alleges predatory sexual assault, a Class A felony that carries a mandatory life sentence. If convicted, the minimum sentence is 10 years to life, and the maximum is 25 years to life, Smith said.
Smith commended the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office for its exhaustive work on the case, which began with an early morning call in June. He also acknowledged assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI in dividing responsibilities for prosecution.
DuMond called the allegations “shocking to the conscience” and described the case as one of the most disturbing in his decades-long career.
“I think about those girls. I think about how their lives are going to be changed forever. I think about how their families’ lives are going to be changed forever. I think about my own granddaughters,” DuMond said, visibly emotional.
“These horrific acts are just unconscionable.”
Smith said the investigation was prompted by a report from Child Protective Services. Smith and DuMond also thanked Safe Against Violence for their support of victims throughout the case. “It’s not easy when you have to interview young children who have been through something like this,” Smith noted.
Both agencies urged anyone with additional information to contact the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, either directly or through the sheriff’s anonymous tip app.
While the timeline for trial remains unclear - especially with the involvement of both state and federal jurisdictions - Smith said his office is working closely with federal prosecutors to coordinate proceedings.
“We may work together to try to come up with some sort of a global disposition. It’s not out of the question, but it definitely doesn’t have to be that way,” Smith said.
If convicted on all counts, the defendant could face decades or more behind bars, including a mandatory life sentence. However, Smith reiterated, “These are all just allegations now.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
