Court docs show screenshots of IMPD officer harassing woman via Hinge, running her plates

Indianapolis Star

21-07-2025

Court documents show that an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officer used department resources to harass a woman before his July 18 arrest on allegations of official misconduct and harassment.
A probable cause affidavit for his arrest accuses Officer Nicholas Cauley, 38, of harassing the woman, who he had a relationship with, through texts, emails, social media, and even the dating app Hinge. He is also accused of visiting her workplace while in uniform, and running her license plates through an IMPD computer.
'The trust our community places in us is built on accountability and integrity. When any officer violates that trust, it's our duty to act quickly and transparently,' said Chief Chris Bailey following Cauley's arrest. "We are committed to working closely with the prosecutor to ensure this case is investigated appropriately.'
Cauley is a nine-year IMPD officer, most recently assigned to the department's North District. He was jailed and later released on bond, and is on administrative leave pending additional review by the chief. A news release from the department said his police-issued equipment has been collected, and his law enforcement authority has been suspended.
He was arrested and formally charged with two counts of official misconduct and one count of harassment following an investigation by the department's Special Investigation Unit (SIU).
On June 24, IMPD North District, which is the district where Cauley worked, received an email from the woman. According to court documents, it read, 'I would simply like his attempts to contact me to stop. If he had not been an officer I would have moved forward in some sort of legal way much sooner.' She added that as his behavior continues, "It becomes more difficult to ignore the seriousness of this issue.'
Once North District referred the matter to SIU for review, Detective Lt. Craig Stewart was assigned the case.
Stewart spoke with the woman the next day, and according to court records, she said the couple's relationship ended in August 2024. She said she noticed a discernible change in his behavior later that year.
Court documents stated the behaviors included leveraging access to her personal property in an attempt to force her to speak to him by 'throwing (her) phone into the woods' and preventing her from having access to her personal items. Court documents also said the behaviors began to increase as she moved her belongings from their shared home.
The woman told the detective that Cauley's behavior was "cruel" and that he was "saying unkind things."
She said she cut off all contact with Cauley as much as she could in late December, which made him angrier, and she claims his harassment of her escalated.
Court records reveal emails from Cauley to the woman, angry that she wasn't replying to him and had his phone number blocked. According to the probable affidavit for his arrest, the woman would get voicemails about her still owing him money and complaining about her canceling a previously shared subscription account.
Then she said there would be a pattern of Cauley being apologetic before switching back to cruelty and name calling 'when he wouldn't get what he wanted."
Officer Nicholas Cauley: IMPD officer accused of misconduct and harassing woman after recent divorce
Even with Cauley blocked from texting her, the woman accused him of harassing her through Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, and even a PayPal and Pinterest account.
She said Cauley contacted her through a Hinge account in June, insulting her. Court records reveal a screenshot of his message on Hinge to her stating, 'Hiii! How is being the fakest person going? All the lies you live going well? … 40 is not looking well on you. Whatever those rejuvenation companies are doing is not working. Hope all is well!"
Before his alleged insults through the Hinge app, the woman accused Cauley of leaving a letter on her vehicle while she was at work in late March.
The last time she'd spoken to him was before Christmas when she told him to stop sending mean emails and asked his mother to coordinate any needed communications so they didn't have to converse.
She said she'd previously told him numerous times to leave her alone.
Detective Stewart learned through GPS data that Cauley's marked police vehicle, while he was in uniform and working as an officer, traveled to the woman's workplace at 6:12 a.m. on March 24, according to court documents.
Court records stated that further examination of Cauley's vehicle-mounted computer information showed him at this location near the time he was dispatched to a report of vandalism on North New Jersey Street before he left to respond. He also wasn't responding to a dispatched run, nor creating a self-initiated stop at that time or address.
His confirmed location near the address coincides with the timeframe the woman reported receiving a letter on hervehicle at work.
On June 30, Stewart allowed Cauley to provide a recorded statement about the allegations, and was contacted by Cauley's private counsel. But neither counsel nor Cauley has accepted or declined the offer to make a statement, court documents state.
At one point, Cauley also used his law enforcement authority to look up the woman's license plate information, a news release from the department states.
A harassment charge is a misdemeanor, while an official misconduct charge is a level 6 felony. Cauley could face up to six months to two and a half years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 if convicted.
Cauley bailed out of the Marion County Jail July 19. His next court case is at 8:30 a.m. on July 22.