Former Triton Teacher, Coach Arrested In Kosciusko County For Child Seduction
By Liz Adkins
InkFreeNews
Zachary Mitchell Lewis Whitaker
SYRACUSE — A former Triton School Corporation teacher and football coach has been arrested in Kosciusko County for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a child.
Zachary Mitchell Lewis Whitaker, 33, 99 EMS D22 Lane, Syracuse, is charged with child seduction, a level 6 felony.
On Nov. 23, 2024, an Indiana State Police detective spoke with a child who said they had previously been in a relationship with Whitaker.
According to court documents, the child said their relationship started after they watched Whitaker’s dog and they texted each other. The child said they met up with Whitaker a few times during a summer prior to 2024, but kept their relationship a secret.
They told the detective others made accusations about Whitaker’s relationship with the child being inappropriate, which led the child to “freak out” about the relationship.
The child said their relationship eventually became sexual, with Whitaker bringing the child to his home in Syracuse. They estimated they had sex around five or six times. The child told police they communicated with Whitaker through a messaging app and deleted communication between them and Whitaker on a nightly basis.
The child also said they and Whitaker used a secret code word to tell each other they loved one another whenever they were in public. The child said they broke off the relationship with Whitaker.
In October 2024, Triton School Corporation announced Whitaker’s resignation after an investigation was launched on the relationship between the child and Whitaker.
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