Vigo County school security officer fired after arrest on child seduction charge
TERRE HAUTE IN Aug 25 2019 — A Rockville man has been fired from his school protection officer’s job with the Vigo County School Corp. after being arrested in Parke County on a felony charge of child seduction.
Nathaniel “Jake” Arney, 32, also is no longer a reserve deputy with the Parke County Sheriff’s Office.
Arney was arrested Wednesday after an investigation into a report of an inappropriate relationship with a juvenile female in 2017.
At the time of the relationship, which was first reported to police Wednesday, Arney was employed on a coaching staff of the former Rockville High School, now Parke Heritage High School. Parke County Sheriff Justin Cole confirmed the victim was a student athlete at the school at the time.
Arney was booked into the Parke County Jail on a Level 5 felony of child seduction. He posted $15,000 bail and was released Wednesday night with an order to appear in Parke Circuit Court for an initial hearing Sept. 9.
A detective with the Parke County Sheriff’s Office submitted the case report to the Parke County Prosecutor for review Thursday, Cole said.
In a news release early Thursday, Vigo County School Corp. spokesman Bill Riley said Arney was placed on unpaid administrative leave Wednesday night after school officials learned of his arrest. His access to school facilities also was revoked.
Arney was fired Thursday morning after school officials confirmed he had been arrested.
VCSC declined to name the school where Arney had been assigned, but it released a statement about its actions.
“Once the Vigo County School Corporation confirmed the official report of Arney’s arrest on the morning of Thursday, August 22, his employment was terminated,” the school district said in a news release shortly after noon Thursday.
“The Vigo County School Corporation takes seriously its duty to foster a safe environment for students. To that end, the School Corporation acted quickly to address Arney’s arrest and will continue to cooperate with its law enforcement partners. “
Vigo County Sheriff John Plasse said Arney was not a special deputy through the Vigo sheriff’s office, as are most of the Vigo school protection officers.
Sheriff Cole said Arney had been a reserve deputy with his department for about a year and a half.
WashTimes Herald
