Chad Michael King

ELKHART COUNTY — A Warsaw man was arrested by the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department on a child solicitation charge after he thought he was communicating with a 14-year-old girl and driving to Elkhart to have sex with her. An Elkhart County sheriff’s detective was posing as the 14-year-old girl.

Chad Michael King, 44, 519 W. Winona Ave., Apt. 2, Warsaw, was arrested Friday, May 5, on a charge of child solicitation. A notation on the charge states he has a prior charge for this violation.

He is to appear for an initial hearing at 1 p.m. today, May 11, in the courtroom of the Elkhart County Correctional Complex. He remains incarcerated in the Elkhart County Detention Facility on $50,000 bond.

Events began May 1 when the detective posted a message on a social media site. Shortly after the posting, King began communicating with the detective, who told King she was a 14-year-old female from Elkhart in at least three electronic messages. The conversations continued through May 5.

King allegedly identified himself as 35 years old and engaged the detective with sexually explicit communications. He also agreed to drive to Elkhart May 5 to meet the 14-year-old girl. When he drove to an Elkhart apartment complex, believing it was the address of the girl he had been communicating with, he was immediately taken into custody.

Officers found King’s cellphone in his vehicle, opened to the current message of the conversation he had been sharing with the alleged 14-year-old, telling King the location he was to see her at.

The charge is a level 4 felony.