Following a five month investigation, a 61-year-old man was arrested on a warrant for alleged felony child molesting in connection with an incident that occurred 40 years prior.
On March 7 around 8 a.m., the Lafayette Police Department reportedly served an arrest warrant on Scott Wheeler, 61, who was taken into custody without incident and is facing three counts of felony child molesting and one count of vicarious sexual gratification.
The allegations were first brought to the attention of the department on Nov. 1, 2024, which caused detectives from the Lafayette Police Department Special Victims Unit, in partnership with the Tippecanoe County Prosecutor’s Office, to investigate the case. The investigation led to the issuance of an arrest warrant and Wheeler’s arrest.
The investigation reportedly revealed that the crime occurred around 40 years ago when Wheeler was 21 years old and the victim was between the ages of 11 and 12. The investigation remains as an active investigation, and no further details will be released by the department at this time. Community members with any additional information regarding the incident are encouraged to contact the Lafayette Police Department.
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