Former school resource officer at Bloomington North accused of child seduction
A former Bloomington High School North school resource officer is accused of sexual misconduct with a female student on a fishing trip in June last year.
The former officer, Jason Tatlock, 46 of Owen County, is now charged with child seduction as a child care worker, battery, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and furnishing alcohol to a minor. His initial hearing was Thursday, June 26.
An officer with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources began investigating after the student's sister reported to police that, on a fishing trip to Cataract Falls, Tatlock kissed the student, touched her inappropriately and confessed his attraction to her.
The student told police in an interview that on the fishing trip, Tatlock 'assaulted' her and she was 'scared to death,' the probable cause affidavit said. The student told police he had inappropriately touched her and kissed her several times on the trip.
"I haven't been the same person since what he did to me,' the student told police, the affidavit said. 'I haven't been the same person. I've had trouble sleeping. ... I've been traumatized."
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She also told investigators Tatlock mentioned several instances of cheating on his wife. She told police that two days after the incident on the boat, she asked how many women he had cheated on his wife with.
He responded, she told investigators, by saying 'she was the youngest.'
In an interview with police, Tatlock said he had touched her inappropriately and made sexually explicit comments but did not recall kissing her.
He and the female student continually met in his office throughout the school year, according to the affidavit. The student told police he had looked her name up on the first day of school.
She told police he would buy her snacks and coffee, the affidavit said, and continued to email after the school year ended. She and Tatlock both told police that on the day of the outing he bought her a bottle of vodka. She described feeling drunk on the trip.
Bloomington North families and employees received a message about the incident on June 24, after law enforcement concluded its investigation.
The message said the Monroe County Community School Corp. received a report on June 18, 2024, from the guardian of a now-graduated Bloomington North student alleging Tatlock had sexually assaulted the student. The district immediately contacted the Indiana Department of Child Services.
Tatlock was placed on administrative leave that day. According to the affidavit, he told police that school officials called him multiple times and took his school vehicle. He resigned June 19, last year, the district said.
He joined MCCSC in July 2023 after 20 years working at the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and the Owen County Sheriff's Office, the email said. The affidavit said he told police he also had worked for the Seymour Police Department.
'The safety and security of our students is the highest priority to the MCCSC,' the email said. 'We will continue to work cooperatively with our law enforcement partners and the prosecutor's office in this matter."
Contact Andrew Miller at AMiller@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Former Bloomington North school resource officer accused of child seduction
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