Jackson
A Bargersville man was arrested on a warrant Tuesday after a child solicitation sting.
Nicholas P. Jackson, 39, was arrested on a Level 4 felony charge of child solicitation, a Level 5 felony charge of possession of child pornography with an aggravating factor and a Level 6 felony charge of dissemination of matter harmful to minors.
He was wanted as part of the November child solicitation roundup conducted by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin Police, Edinburgh Police and other agencies. However, he was not arrested on Nov. 29 because he didn’t go through with meeting the minor during the roundup, according to the probable cause affidavit filed in Johnson County Superior Court 3.
Detectives corresponded with Jackson via a local group within an encrypted chatroom app that is largely used for criminal activity such as selling pornography, illegal guns, drugs and prostitutes, the affidavit says.
They spoke with him over a series of three days, with the third day being when Jackson allegedly had agreed to meet the person he thought was a 14-year-old girl at a Greenwood apartment. The conversation quickly became lewd, the affidavit shows.
Jackson allegedly used his real name in the chatroom and presented himself as a “happily married” church employee and seminary student. Jackson worked at a New Whiteland church and had previously been a substitute teacher, the affidavit says.
Although he was not actively working as a subtitute teacher at the time of the conversations, he had previously been at several local high schools including Center Grove and Perry Meridian, said Duane Burgess, Johnson County sheriff.
Despite detectives making it very clear Jackson was talking to an underage girl, he allegedly sent pictures of himself, including nude photos and a video of a sexual act. He allegedly completed the sexual act while in his office at a church, the affidavit says.
He allegedly discussed with undercover detectives that he had a fantasy for high school girls, and asked her to send a photo as well. The detective speaking to him sent a stock photo of a petite woman, the affidavit says.
After the second day of talking, the “girl” asked him to meet her. He agreed to meet up. But on that day Jackson allegedly texted that he came to the apartment complex but he got nervous and left, the affidavit says.
Detectives also saw him at the apartment complex that day in a car registered to him. This constitutes an “overt action,” the affidavit says.
On Dec. 15, detectives came to the church where he works to speak with him. He agreed to an interview and surrendered two electronic devices to be searched, the affidavit says.
He told detectives he is a church elder and he led church mission trips to Guatemala, the affidavit says.
He allegedly confirmed that he was talking to the girl on the app, but said he is remorseful and emphasized he is not addicted to pornography. He also allegedly confirmed he had gone to the apartment complex, but said he was already in the area to drop off a bank deposit for his church, the affidavit says.
Jackson denied having other inappropriate relationships with juveniles but allegedly admitted to looking up child porn between six months and a year ago, the affidavit says.
On his devices, detectives found other photos of Jackson doing sexual acts at his church office dating back to June. Detectives also found three porn videos that appear to depict children under 12, the affidavit says.
Jackson and dozens of other people have been arrested through local child solicitation stings. Franklin Chief Kirby Cochran, Edinburgh Chief Doyne Little and Burgess are committed to continuing these types of investigations and operations, he said in a media release about Jackson’s arrest.
For these roundups, investigators from each agency work many hours and have begun to collaborate with the U.S. Secret Service and other federal law enforcement partners. Together with the prosecutor’s office, the agencies are working to make kids safer, he said.
“We must have these relationships in order to keep children and the citizens of Johnson County safe,” Burgess said.
