Anderson police officer charged with child solicitation while working as school resource officer

An Anderson police officer is being charged with child solicitation after the Indiana State Police say he sent inappropriate text messages to students while working as a school resource officer.

50-year-old Joshua Senseney is charged with three counts of child solicitation and one count of official misconduct.  Both charges are felonies.

The Anderson Police Department asked the Indiana State Police to investigate Senseney this summer.  That’s after a parent accused him of sending inappropriate text messages to a student.

Court documents show the investigation found while Senseney was working at Highland Middle School, he sent sexually-explicit text messages to several teen boys at the school.  One teenager told investigators that Senseney would hang around at their lunch table and make inappropriate jokes.  The investigation also found pictures and videos of students from social media on Senseney’s phone.

After an arrest warrant was issued, Senseney turned himself into the Madison County Jail on Tuesday morning.  He has been released on bail.  And he has been placed on administrative leave from the Anderson Police Department.

A special prosecutor from the Grant County Prosecutor’s office is handling the case.

Stephanie Wiechmann is our Managing Editor and “All Things Considered” Host.  Contact her at slwiechmann@bsu.edu.