Staff Reports
A three-month investigation led to the arrest of a convicted sex offender from Elizabethtown on charges related to being in the presence of children.
Robert F. Swengel, 35, 7041 E. County Road 750S, was arrested at about 10:16 a.m. Tuesday by Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department detective William Kinman Jr. on an out-of-county warrant for:
Unlawful employment near children, a Level 6 felony.
Unlawful entry of school property by a serious sex offender, a Level 6 felony
Habitual offender
In July, Kinman began an investigation into a person allegedly being threatened and harassed online.
Swengel’s status as a convicted sex offender prohibited his employment with certain types of businesses, said Judy Jackson, spokesperson for the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department. Once Swengel’s status was discovered, he was terminated from a Madison wrestling-promotions company, Jackson said.
Although the criminal investigation originated in Bartholomew County, the offense occurred in Jefferson County and all charges were filed through the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office, Jackson said.
Swengel has been transferred to the Jefferson County Jail. He is being held without bond, according to jail officials.
Kinman was assisted by Capt. Christopher Roberts, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department sex offender registrar Rudy Olivo and the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office.
