<strong>Local man arrested in child solicitation sting</strong>

FRANKLIN — A 60-year-old Nashville man was one of eight arrested in a child solicitation sting after he traveled to an undisclosed location in Franklin to meet who he thought was a child under the age of 14 for sex.

Kevin Hatchett was arrested on two counts of child solicitation charges — one a Level 4 and one a Level 5 — on April 28.

He was formally charged with Level 4 child solicitation on May 3.

The Daily Journal newspaper reports that over the course of three days, more than 35 officers from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin Police Department, Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, Martinsville Police Department and the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office conducted a joint child solicitation operation, this one dubbed Operation Guardian.

It was similar to a child solicitation sting in December, officials said.

The fact that some of the men physically traveled to a location to meet up with a minor heightened the level of the charges to a Level 4 felony, according to The Daily Journal.

Detectives posed online as a child. During chat room conversations, the suspects solicited sex and arranged to meet with a detective they thought was the underage child at an undisclosed location. The men were among many waiting in online chat rooms to prey on children, according to a Johnson County Sheriff’s Office news release.

The men ignored warnings from other individuals in the chat rooms that officers frequently posed as children, the news release said.

When the suspects arrived at the agreed-upon location to meet with the undercover detectives, they were arrested and taken to the Johnson County jail.

“These arrests were a team effort by all agencies involved and were the result of several days of hard work and cooperation by detectives committed to locking up these types of predators,” the news release said.

Most could face up to 12 years in prison, with a six-year advisory sentence, and could be ordered to pay up to a $10,000 fine.

“Law enforcement cannot eliminate this problem alone. Parents and guardians need to have an active role in their children’s lives to ensure they are aware of what they are doing on the internet. Parents should keep an eye on what sites their children are visiting and who they are talking to in chats, games and social media,” the news release said.

“This is an ongoing situation where children are regularly being targeted and seduced by predators to engage in sexual conduct. Please speak to your children about this issue and help eliminate these threats.”

Hatchett’s initial hearing will be May 26 at 1:30 p.m. in the Johnson County Superior Court.

<strong>Habitual traffic violator arrested</strong>

A Terre Haute woman was arrested in Nashville for driving without a valid driver’s license and as an habitual traffic violator on April 15.

Nashville Police Officer Cody Poynter was traveling south on Van Buren Street when he reportedly ran the license plate of a vehicle driven by a woman later identified as 33-year-old Stephanie Troxal. The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles returned that Troxal was an habitual traffic violator. Poynter then initiated a traffic stop.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Poynter asked Troxal if she knew her license was not valid, to which she said she thought it was taken care of.

She was arrested and transported her to the Brown County Jail. Troxal faces a Level 6 Felony for operating a vehicle as an habitual traffic violator.