An iconic Greenwood ice cream shop the city had hoped would expand remains open under different leadership after its owner was arrested last week on multiple child pornography charges, according to a statement released this weekend.
Those leaders are relatives and long-time business partners of Mrs. Curl Ice Cream Shop and Outdoor Cafe owner John Cassin, who was arrested on Friday, and is charged with two Level 5 felonies for viewing and downloading pornographic images of girls as young as babies, he told police during a months-long investigation that began last October.
He has since "stepped aside" from his role at Mrs. Curl, according to the statement.
"Our employees have expressed that they would like to continue working. Mrs. Curl has transitioned to new ownership as of January 2019 due to John’s age and pending retirement," Mrs. Curl said in a statement.
Ashley Miller and Sean Cassin, who are listed as principal alongside John Cassin on the Secretary of State’s website, have been listed as business partners since at least February 11, although Miller said in a Facebook post she ran the small business for the last two decades. The Secretary of State’s Office said principals are not necessarily owners, but rather agents who can do business on behalf of the business, a spokesperson said.
John Cassin was still listed as a principal on Wednesday.
About 90 percent of business filings or changes are submitted online and are instantly reflected on the Secretary of State’s InBiz website. Paper filings are processed within a day, a spokesperson said.
Cassin, 75, was arrested at the ice cream shop that has served patrons at its current site on Meridian Street for more than five decades. Cassin bought the business in 1997.
A cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led to an investigation by Greenwood police, according to court documents.
Police searched Cassin’s home, 136 Windemere Road, Whiteland, including all of his computers and mobile devices, on March 20 for traces of child pornography, court documents said.
When an investigator showed Cassin the photo they received as part of the tip, Cassin said he had seen the image before and knew the child was under the age of 18, according to court documents.
Cassin told investigators he used the desktop computer in his office to read the news and look at porn, used specific search terms to locate child porn and investigators would likely find a history of child porn activity on his computers, court documents said.
He told them he never engaged in sexual activity with a minor, but was scared he would if he didn’t stop, according to court documents.
Investigators also found numerous child pornography images on a Mrs. Curl user account, according to court documents.
News of the arrest and allegations spread quickly. Mrs. Curl has long been a staple in the Greenwood community, and many wondered what would happen to the establishment.
In 2017, the city offered John Cassin business incentives to expand the ice cream shop, but Cassin failed to secure financing to cover his portion, and the transaction was never finalized.
Mayor Mark Myers, who supported those incentives, said Monday the community will decide the business’s fate.
“This is shocking news and certainly very disturbing subject matter. I am confident law enforcement officials will continue with diligence and serve appropriate justice. No one is above the law," Myers said in a statement.
"Community members will decide what is appropriate as well, weighing the future of an institution once synonymous with local pride and family tradition. Above all, we must remain vigilant to protect children from the predators and deviants who seek to destroy their innocence."
John Cassin reached an agreement with the city to buy the land needed to construct a new location that would be open year-round with indoor seating at Main and Meridian streets. But he failed to secure a bank loan to pay for it by the October 2018 deadline the redevelopment commission set.
As part of that agreement with the city, Cassin had one year to close on the property and begin construction.
That land is still owned by the city.
In 2016, the redevelopment commission spent $163,500 to purchase houses at 1 and 21 E. Main Street, one of which was owned by Cassin’s son, Scott Cassin. The city then spent $22,000 to demolish the homes. The initial plan was to use the land to add a turn lane to the intersection, widen sidewalks along Meridian and Main streets and build a public parking lot. After the city began negotiations to purchase the properties, Cassin proposed using the land for a new and improved ice-cream shop.
In September 2017, the redevelopment commission voted 3-2 in favor of selling the two properties to Cassin and two business partners for $41,000. The board solicited bids, and Cassin’s offer was the only one submitted.
After getting the land rezoned for commercial use, the redevelopment commission had the properties re-appraised at $35,000.
At that time, the city’s best case scenario was to recover its investment through future property taxes, rather than have Cassin or another developer directly reimburse the city for the $185,000 total it spent to buy the land.
The redevelopment commission approved requesting proposals from developers specifically for an ice cream parlor or similar development, a request tailored for a Mrs. Curl expansion.
If the city would have sold the property for the appraised price, it would have provided a $150,000 financial incentive to Cassin to expand his business.
