Teacher faces charges related to Skype convo with teen
FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) – A North Central High School teacher is facing charges related to a Skype session with a minor.
According to court documents, a Fishers Police Department detective assigned to the Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force received information from the FBI about a case out of La Grande, Oregon that happened between Jan. 20, 2014 and Feb. 12. 2014.
The case was about communication between a 16-year-old girl and an unidentified person on Skype. The case filing listed Sameer Thakar, of Fishers, as a possible suspect, identified by the girl’s father.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the detective spoke with Thakar last week at his home. He admitted that he had a problem with chatting online, during the same period of time in winter 2014. Court documents state that Thakar knew why the detective was speaking to him when he said it involved a girl in Oregon.
Thakar told the detective he remembered talking to the girl. Thakar told the detective about his Skype name and identified printouts of pictures that were sent to the girl, including of genitals, as pictures that he sent. Thakar told the detective he knew the girl’s age, but couldn’t remember if she was 16 before or after he sent the picture of his genitals, court documents detail.
On a disc that included Skype conversations from the girl’s computer was a conversation from Jan. 28, 2014. Court documents detail the girl wrote, “I wish I were 18.” Thaker replied, “lol how long until 18?” The girl replied “1 year and a half,” and Thakar replied “ok.”
According to court documents, Thakar sent a photo of his genitals to the girl about an hour after she told him she wasn’t 18.
Thakar has been charged with dissemination of matter harmful to minor.
MSD of Washington Township released this statement Wednesday morning:
On the evening of February 9th, the MSD of Washington Township was informed that a teacher in his first year at North Central High School was arrested. That communication informed the district that Mr. Sameer Thakar was arrested because it was alleged that he sent illegal and clearly inappropriate material to a minor in Oregon.
The School District before sunrise on February 10th, directly reported the arrest to Child Protective Services in both Indiana and Oregon. The school district placed the teacher on administrative leave until further notice pending our own investigation and the teacher has been instructed not to appear on school property. Additionally, overnight the teacher’s access to district email and computer was terminated and the information on the computer was secured.
Immediately the next step of the school district was to notify the Fishers police department of the school district’s actions to secure the email and computer of this teacher.
At this time we have no information that any MSD Washington Township student has been involved with this investigation involving this teacher.
Washington Township is working in full cooperation with Fishers police department who was the arresting department. If the school district becomes aware of additional information we will communicate it promptly.
Further details regarding the investigation should be directed to Fishers Police Department.
Thakar is due in court on Feb. 26.
