Edinburgh officer accused of molesting minor

Nunez Submitted photo

EDINBURGH — An Edinburgh police officer who also served as an Edinburgh school resource officer is accused of molesting a minor over the course of six years, from 2014 to 2020.

Michael David Nunez is charged with two counts of Level 1 child molestation for actions that took place from July 1 to Dec. 31 of 2014, and from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30, 2020, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Johnson County Superior Court 3.

Since the victim is younger than 14 years old and Nunez, 33, is older than 21, both counts have been upgraded to Level 1 felonies and carry a possible sentence of 20 to 50 years in prison, or a maximum of 100 years in prison if he is convicted and ordered to serve consecutive sentences, according to a joint news release from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office.

Deputies arrested Nunez Tuesday. Police first found him at 2:59 a.m. Dec. 30 in the area of River Road and Triangle Road at Camp Atterbury, where he was sitting in his vehicle. He was taken to a nearby hospital for immediate detention. Later that day, the prosecutor’s office filed charges, and he was arrested upon his release from the hospital, the news release said. He is held on a $160,000 cash-only bond.

Nunez’s arrest comes after someone who knew the victim reported it to Edinburgh police, which immediately turned over the case to the sheriff’s office, the news release said. A sheriff’s deputy interviewed the victim and the person who reported the incidents to police.

Nunez sexually abused them for six years, from 2014 to 2020, the victim told police, according to probable cause affidavits.

The victim said the molestation usually occurred once a month, and toward the start of the abuse, Nunez told the victim he would go to jail if they told anyone. The victim said the last time they were molested, they told Nunez that what he was doing was “gross and nasty” and they didn’t want to do it anymore, according to court documents.

Sheriff’s deputies tried to contact Nunez on Dec. 29, but he declined to speak with them. At the time, he was off-duty, working a part-time security job. In the hours that followed, Nunez was found at Camp Atterbury, the news release said.

The accusations must be taken seriously and if guilty, Nunez must be held accountable, Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess said in the news release.

“The Sheriff’s Office remains committed to protecting the citizens of Johnson County and impartially enforcing all laws, regardless of the individuals involved,” Burgess said. “Law enforcement officers should be held to a higher standard and any allegations against them will always be fully investigated and handled the same as any other case.”

Edinburgh Police Chief Doyne Little suspended Nunez from Dec. 30 to Friday. The Edinburgh Town Council on Monday took further action, adding five days to the end of the suspension, said Dustin Huddleston, the town’s attorney.

A special meeting is scheduled at 8 a.m. Friday to discuss further action against Nunez, although it is unclear what action the council will take, Huddleston said.

Nunez was also employed by Edinburgh Community Schools as a school resource officer from October 2019 to March 2020, superintendent Doug Arnold said. That position was eliminated, Arnold said.