WOLCOTTVILLE, Ind. — A northern Indiana police officer is facing felony charges, including attempted child seduction, for contact he had with a 16-year-old girl..
According to Indiana State Police in Fort Wayne, 27-year-old Zarek B. Finley, a police officer with the Wolcottville Police Department, was arrested Monday. The arrest came after an investigation of alleged official misconduct involving a minor.
State police said the investigation started earlier this month when ISP received information about the case from the Noble County Sheriff's Department and the mother of the teenage victim.
Police said the girl's mother reported Finley had been exchanging inappropriate messages over social media with her daughter under his official capacity as a police officer.
Finley was arrested Monday based on information and evidence detectives collected since the investigation began on Feb. 4. The DeKalb County prosecutor, who was specially assigned to the case, determined Finley would be charged with felony counts of attempted child seduction, attempted dissemination of material harmful to a minor and attempted possession of child pornography.
The prosecutor said it is possible more charges could be filed against Finley at a later time as the investigation is ongoing.
Finley is being held at the Noble County Jail pending an initial court appearance.