Cops: Man sexted girl he met in church

BOONE COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) -  

A Boone County man is facing charges in what is believed to be the first sexting case in the area.

Thomas Lowman, 18, is facing a Class D felony charge of dissemination of matter harmful to minors. Officials say the high school student sent sexually explicit photos of himself to a 14-year-old girl.

The girl, from Thorntown, said she met the New Market man when he was 17 and she was 13. They met at a church the girl’s family attended.

While Lowman admitted to police that he sent the girl an explicit photo, he said she began the sexting “without him asking for it.” He also said he “immediately deleted the photo” of the girl. The girl contends Lowman asked for the photo, police said.

Lowman is scheduled to appear in court on April 20.

Prosecutors in Morgan and Marion counties told 24-Hour News 8 that such cases present challenges. It’s often not clear whom to charge, or what to charge them with. Indiana has no laws that specifically address sending sexually explicit text messages, and many times all involved have sent sexts, not just one person or the other.

State lawmakers have discussed the possibility of making sexting a criminal act.