Vaughn, of Darke County, is accused of soliciting a child younger than 13 on May 1 to engage in sexual activity, through use of a cellphone, according to his indictment. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and said it involved Vaughn communicating with a law enforcement officer posing as a girl younger than 13.
Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Greg Flannagan previously said Vaughn — a registered sex offender following last year’s case — made contact with a deputy posing as the juvenile on Kinkd, described as a dating app for fetish enthusiasts.
“The defendant, who now lives in Greenville, offered to meet for sex,” he said.
Credit: Montgomery County Jail
Credit: Montgomery County Jail
Vaughn was sentenced by Ellis in May 2023 to 40 days in jail in addition to the roughly 30 days he’d already served plus five years of probation with intensive supervision after he pleaded guilty to importuning. He traveled about 100 miles from his former home in New Palestine, Indiana, to Vandalia, where he was caught in a sting house. A possession of criminal tools charge was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
In addition to the jail time and probation, Vaughn was designated a Tier I sex offender, which required him to register his address annually for 15 years.
His arrest in March 2023 was featured in the first episode of the fourth season of Hansen’s show available for streaming on TruBlu and also is featured in the “Predators I’ve Caught with Chris Hansen” podcast.
“We have an older gentleman coming from out of state to meet a 43-year-old dad and his 13-year-old daughter and to engage in sex acts with both of them,” sheriff’s Capt. Terry Ables told Hansen of Vaughn’s plans based on the chat sessions.
In the episode, the retired engineer arrived with a milkshake for the undercover female decoy and shook hands with the detective posing as her father. He appeared at ease while taking off his jacket, sitting on a leather couch and patting the seat next to him for the girl. He also made small talk with the pair at the house used for the operation and suggested that more parents should take an active role in their children’s sexual experiences.
Once other task force detectives revealed themselves, Vaughn was handcuffed and interviewed. He then agreed to sit and talk with Hansen.
Ellis on Thursday also increased Vaughn’s sex offender status to Tier II. Once he is released from prison he will be required to register his address with his local sheriff’s office every six months for 25 years.
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