When Logan White of Jasonville appeared before Greene Superior Court Judge Dena Martin earlier this month, he changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced to 20 years for child molesting.

White, age 20, admitted guilt and was sentenced on two Level 3 felony counts. On each count, White was given 10 years, with one year suspended in each. The two counts combined equal a total of 20 years with a total of two of those years suspended.

The judge ruled that these two sentences will not be served concurrently/at the same time, but will be served consecutively or one after the other.

That’s 18 years to serve in the Indiana Department of Corrections. Under Indiana law, White is eligible for “good time credit” but must serve at least 75 percent of his sentence - 13.5 years. When released, he will serve the two suspended years on probation.

This case has been under investigation since December.

A suspicious situation between White and a juvenile victim was first reported to the Greene County Sheriff’s Department on December 31, 2017. The complaint was assigned to GCSD Deputy Christopher Anderson.

On Wednesday, January 17, a call came in during the early afternoon to report an altercation at the juvenile’s residence. White was accused of the battery of the juvenile victim’s sibling after another family member had observed White in the juvenile’s bedroom. Deputy Anderson and Deputy David Elmore were dispatched to investigate the battery. Information and statements gathered by Deputy Elmore from individuals at the home led to the immediate arrest of White. He was transported to the Greene County Jail and booked in by Deputy Anderson.

Greene County Sheriff’s Detective Sergeant James O’Malley was then called in to investigate serious sexual allegations made against White. O’Malley conducted his first interview with White at the jail later the same afternoon. A second interview was conducted that same evening.

O’Malley reported that White first denied any inappropriate physical contact with the juvenile, then after further questioning, admitted to one physical contact. During the second interview, O’Malley reported that White admitted to having numerous sexual encounters with the juvenile victim in the juvenile’s home.

According to the information in the probable cause affidavit prepared by Det. Sgt. O’Malley, White knew exactly when the encounters started – on December 5, 2017, when the juvenile’s parents separated and the father moved out of the house. The juvenile continued to live with the mother and the encounters allegedly continued, at the mother’s home, until January 16, 2018 – the day before White’s arrest.

O’Malley wrote that White said he didn’t think the mother knew about the encounters because she never said anything about it.

While O’Malley was interviewing White at the jail, Greene County Prosecutor’s Investigator Julie Criger interviewed the juvenile at the Jasonville Police Department. Criger advised Det. Sgt. O’Malley that the juvenile verified being in a sexual relationship with White from mid-December until January 16. Criger advised that the juvenile shared details of the relationship and the sexual encounters.

According to the affidavit, the juvenile told Criger that prior to any of the sexual incidents, White knew the juvenile’s age was 12 years old; and White admitted to O’Malley that both the victim and the victim’s mother had told him the juvenile’s age was 12. White is 20 years old.

Two days later, on Friday, January 19, as a result of this investigation, while White was behind bars, the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office filed two criminal cases against White, one involving battery and one involving child molestation.

He appeared for initial hearings on Tuesday, January 23. Public defenders were appointed to represent him and his bond was set at $77,000 surety with ten percent allowed. He did not post bond.

In the case related to the battery, he was charged with:

• Battery resulting in bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor,
• Battery, a Class B misdemeanor, and
• Disorderly conduct that involved engaging in fighting or tumultuous conduct, a Class B misdemeanor.

In the more serious case, he was charged with:

• Four counts of child molesting, all Level 3 felonies.

This was not the only legal trouble he was in. At the time of his sentencing, White had two other criminal cases pending against him.

In one, after an incident that occurred in July of 2017, White was charged with disorderly conduct that involved engaging in fighting or tumultuous conduct, a Class B misdemeanor. He was not arrested but was summoned into court for an initial hearing in August, then entered into a pre-trial diversion agreement. The case had become active again when he violated the terms of the agreement.

In the other, a case was filed against him in early March of this year, charging him with two counts of invasion of privacy in violation of a protective order, both Class A misdemeanors.

On February 1, White’s defense entered a motion to reduce his bond. The request was denied.

The child molestation case was scheduled to go to trial in early June, but on April 4, a negotiated plea agreement signed by White was submitted to the court. The trial was canceled and the Greene County Probation Department was ordered to prepare a pre-sentence investigation report.

Under the terms of the negotiated plea, the State agreed to dismiss two counts of child molesting and to dismiss the other three cases pending against White.

At the Change of Plea and Sentencing Hearing on Tuesday, May 1, White pleaded guilty to the remaining two counts of child molesting, both Level 3 felonies. White was represented during the hearing by Greene County Public Defender Alan Baughman. The State was represented by Greene County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Kevin McIntosh.

White never posted bond and has remained in jail since the day of his arrest in January. As of Friday, May 11, White was still incarcerated in the Greene County Jail, while waiting his transfer to the Indiana DOC.

In addition to Det. Sgt. O’Malley and other GCSD deputies, and Prosecutor’s Investigator Julie Criger, Greene County Child Services also assisted with this case.

Click here to read about a connected case against Ashley McKee.