Indian-American schoolteacher in Indiana arrested again for soliciting sex from students

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An Indian-American schoolteacher from Franklin, Indiana, who was first investigated in 2015 for allegedly soliciting sex from students, has been arrested once again on the same charge.

Mihir Patel (Mihirbhai Patel), who used to be a substitute teacher at the Franklin Community High School in Indiana, is being investigated again police say, for charges similar to the ones that were dropped in 2015, according to Fox59.com.

“It was a similar case to this where he was getting in contact with juveniles,” Jeff Merritt, a detective with the Franklin Police Department, is quoted saying in the Fox59 report. In 2015, Patel was charged with promoting prostitution, charges that were later dropped.

Now Patel has been messaging young teens again, at least 3 of them at Whiteland High School, trying to offer them money for sex, police say. “He was just on social media, trying to talk to people,” Merritt told Fox59.

The teens did not know Patel but he found them on Instagram, police say, adding that the students did not engage with Patel but reported him to school authorities instead.

One message to a teen read, “Hi. I am looking for fun” and “As we meet you get cash.” In a sting operation, investigators took over the Instagram account of one of the teens and engaged Patel, asking him how much he would pay. Patel responded,  “100. Each time we meet you get $$. You make good cash.”

Police confronted Patel and arrested him a few days ago, after arranging to meet him at a movie theater parking lot, Fox59 reported based on court records. Patel tried to get away but was taken in.

The police praised students for reporting Patel to school authorities so that the case could be followed up. Now the Indian-American, who according to police, showed no remorse at being caught out, is being charged again with allegedly promoting prostitution, the news report said.