Blackford man's online dealings with juveniles lead to child solicitation convictions
HARTFORD CITY, Ind. — A Hartford City man facing felony charges over his online dealings with two juveniles has entered guilty pleas after striking a deal with Blackford County prosecutors.
Michael Vaughn Winters, 28, on Nov. 13 pleaded guilty to two counts of child solicitation, a Level 5 felony carrying up to six years in prison, in Blackford Circuit Court.
Judge Brian Bade took a plea agreement in the case under advisement, and tentatively set sentencing for Jan. 22.
The deal calls for dismissal of six other charges pending against Winters — promotion of sexual trafficking of a younger child, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, vicarious sexual gratification, inappropriate communication with a child and two additional counts of child solicitation.
In an affidavit filed in November 2022, Derek Bogenschutz — a sergeant with the Jay County Sheriff's Department active with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force — recounted Winters' online dealings with two girls, one from Huntington County and the other from New England.
In a July 2022 message to the Indiana girl, Winters reportedly described himself as "a creep looking for young girls that want to be groomed."
The online discussions reportedly included graphic descriptions of proposed sexual activity with the juvenile, and accounts of Winter's desire to "kidnap" her.
The Blackford County man also allegedly expressed a desire to sexually assault a young child, the court document said,
The investigation leading to Winters' arrest was prompted by information provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Hartford City man strikes deal, pleads guilty to child solicitation
