Police: Carmel Man Tried to Convince Children to Send Him Nude Photos
CARMEL, Ind.–A man from Carmel was arrested last week because police say he was attempting to convince children to send him nude photographs over Snapchat.
44-year-old James Bauerle Jr was taken into custody on Thursday, July 2 at the Indianapolis International Airport with help from the FBI Indinapolis’s Violent Crimes Task Force and the U.S. Customs & Border Protection Chicago Field Office.
The Hamilton County Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force said they got a cybertip from Snapchat saying that Bauerle was trying to convince a kid to send him nude photographs.
Court documents say that in one of the messages, Bauerle told the minor that “14 is old enough for me lol.”
A search warrant was issued. Investigators say they found that he was messaging multiple minors and those conversations centered around sex including nude photos he sent of himself as well as conversations “directing the juveniles to fondle themselves in a sexual manner.”
“Are you enjoying this at all lol,” Bauerle reportedly messaged one user, to which they responded, “No bc I’m a f minor dude.”
Detectives learned that as early as 2019, Bauerle regularly used Snapchat to communicate with underage girls as young as 11.
In total, police say they spoke to at least nine victims who ranged in age from 11 to 17.
Bauerle is facing the following charges in Hamilton County:
-One count of promotion of child sexual trafficking, a Level 3 felony
-One count of attempting to commit promotion of child sexual trafficking, a Level 3 felony
-One count of child solicitation, a Level 5 felony
-One count of child exploitation, a Level 5 felony
-One count of possession of child pornography, a Level 5 felony
-One count of dissemination of matter harmful to minors, a Level 6 felony
Bauerle was taken to the Hamilton County Jail.
