A Bedford man, formerly of Bloomfield, charged with sexual misconduct with a minor after a runaway was located in his company in August, has agreed to plead guilty.

Cody Wesley Major, 23 at the time of his arrest in August, now 24, signed a negotiated plea agreement last Friday.

Major was booked in to the Greene County Jail on Friday, August 10, by Greene County Sheriff’s Deputy David Elmore, the investigating officer. Elmore prepared the documents to establish probable cause and obtain search warrants in this case involving a 15-year-old female who was wanted in Ohio as a runaway and was believed to have met Major in the summer of 2017 in the Bloomfield Park.

Deputy Elmore said the sheriff’s department received information that Major had an outstanding warrant, that the teen was wanted in Ohio, and both could be located at another man’s residence in Owensburg. Both were found there and transported to the sheriff’s department.

When the teen was interviewed, she allegedly said she met Major at the Bloomfield Park in June of 2017 and exchanged phone numbers. According to Deputy Elmore, she said they later had a sexual encounter near the Viaduct and another at a woman’s trailer in Bloomfield. It appeared the relationship continued and the teen said she was pregnant and believed Major was the father.

Deputy Elmore also interviewed family members of both Major and the teen and learned the relationship may have started when the teen was 14 years old.

During the ongoing investigation, Deputy Elmore reviewed social media posts and requested search warrants for a DNA sample from Major as well as a cell phone that belonged to Major and the teen, reported to have photographic evidence of their activities.

During Major’s initial hearing in Greene Circuit Court with Judge Erik Allen presiding, he was charged with two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, both Level 4 felonies, and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.

Major requested a court-appointed attorney – Greene County Public Defender Alan Baughman was appointed, future court dates were scheduled, and bond was set at $30,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed.  

The case was scheduled to go to trial in December but the defense filed a motion for a speedy trial and the trial date was re-set for October 30. The defense also filed a motion requesting a bond reduction. A bond review hearing took place on Wednesday, September 19. After evidence was presented, the judge did approve a bond reduction, lowering it to $15,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. He could then be released from jail by posting $1,500 cash.

Despite the reduction, Major did not post bond and has remained in jail since the day of his arrest.

Then last Friday, a negotiated plea agreement was filed in Greene Circuit Court, signed by Major, Public Defender Alan Baughman and Chief Deputy Prosecutor Keven McIntosh.

Major is now expected to change his plea to guilty of one count of sexual misconduct with a minor, a Level 4 felony, and the State will dismiss the other two counts.

Under the terms of the agreement, Major will be sentenced to seven years in the Indiana Department of Corrections with two years suspended leaving him to face five years in prison. He will be given credit for days already served and would be eligible for good time credit. For a Level 4 felony, he would be required to serve at least 75 percent of his sentence, or 3.75 years.

Following his release, he would serve the two suspended years on probation and he will be ordered to pay a fine plus court costs, pay a $100 child abuse prevention fee and a $250 sexual assault victim fee.

He will also be required to register as a sex offender.

The agreement is subject to acceptance by Judge Eric Allen of Greene Circuit Court. The Greene County Probation Department has been asked to prepare a pre-sentence investigation report and a change of plea and sentencing hearing has been scheduled for the end of October.