Fishers man arrested in alleged misconduct with Lapel teen
Mar. 5—ANDERSON — A city of Fishers employee was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of sexual misconduct with a 15-year-old girl in Lapel.
According to a probable cause affidavit prepared by Lapel Police Chief Kelly Naselroad, Chase A. Faultless, 21, 12900 block of Walbeck Drive, faces preliminary charges of sexual misconduct with a minor in which the defendant had intercourse or engaged in other sexual conduct, for alleged events in July.
While speaking with a Department of Child Services caseworker for an unrelated case, the alleged victim, now 16, sought help regarding a man from Fishers with whom she previously had a "relationship," according to the affidavit. The request resulted in a Jan. 19 forensic interview conducted by Becky Oldham at Kids Talk.
"(Teen) asked her case worker for help to get him to stop communicating with her through various social media," the affidavit said.
Faultless has no prior criminal record.
The teen told investigators she met Faultless after receiving a friend request from a man who called himself "Chase Weak" on the SnapChat social media platform. After accepting the friend request, the teen told investigators, they also communicated through Instagram and texting.
"(Teen) stated she was not sure of the real name of her ex-boyfriend but he had her call him Chase," the affidavit said.
Eventually, Faultless asked to meet in person. They reportedly met July 6 at Woodward Park in Lapel where they allegedly just talked and cuddled, according to the affidavit.
"(Teen) stated she told him she was 15 and he told her he was 20," the affidavit said. "Nothing else happened during that first meeting."
The teen reported she and Faultless met daily over the next two weeks.
The encounters became sexual during the second meeting on July 7 at Memorial Park in Lapel, the teen told investigators. In addition to in-person sexual activity, the teen and Faultless sent one another videos and photos containing sex-related content, screen shots of which were provided to investigators.
The teen did not keep the relationship entirely secret, telling her mother the person she was meeting was 17.
"(Teen) stated she quit talking to Chase because she had a pregnancy scare because she didn't get her period but that she finally got her period, and because she told her mom that he was really 20," the affidavit said. "During the interview, (Teen) stated she ended the relationship because she thought he was having sex with other underage girls he had met through social media."
Investigators used a cellphone number and vehicle description provided by the teen to locate Faultless.
After leaving several voicemails with no return call from Faultless, Naselroad reported he went to the home where Faultless lives with his parents and asked his mother to have him call. Naselroad said he later received an email from the suspect's father, Scott Faultless, who said he was an attorney, was not sure he would represent his son and asked what was being investigated.
"Scott advised me he would confer with Chase and be back in touch on Monday 8 February 2021," Naselroad said.
On Feb. 8, Naselrod said, he was contacted by attorney Bryan Williams who said he represented Faultless who declined to provide a statement. He asked if charges were filed and a warrant issued that he be contacted so Faultless could be surrendered to the Madison County Jail.
According to jail records, Faultless has been released on his own recognizance.
Follow Rebecca R. Bibbs on Twitter at @RebeccaB_THB, or call 765-640-4883.
