The child appeared appropriately dressed, and no visible bruises were noted. George Medary and Melinda Hunt, detectives with the Columbus Police Division's juvenile bureau who are stationed at the Mound Street offices, sift through the calls and reports in hopes of separating molehills from mountains. The job keeps them on the move. We like a neutral atmosphere. I would prefer not to do the interview in the home if that's a threatening atmosphere.
Allegations range from events that occurred a few minutes earlier to much longer.
Sometimes we get a case where someone is brought into Children's Hospital. Someone is sent there to start the investigation. Hunt and Medary conduct the interview based on the age of the alleged victim. Sometimes that means getting on the floor with crayons and a piece of paper. If the officer asks the child whether a pink elephant is in the room and the response is yes, the allegation becomes that much more difficult to substantiate.