A Warsaw man was arrested Friday on child solicitation and sexual battery charges.
Michael David Mench, 41, Warsaw, is charged with child solicitation, a level 5 felony; dissemination of matter harmful to minors, a level 5 felony; sexual battery, a level 6 felony; and battery, a class B misdemeanor.
He was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 4:28 p.m. Friday on a $21,000 preliminary bond.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Thursday dispatch advised of a sexual battery. A Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office deputy talked to a woman who said the Department of Child Services placed a minor with her about two months prior. When the woman returned home from work, her children told her what happened to the minor.
The deputy spoke with the minor who said the woman left for work, and around 9 a.m. Thursday Mench entered the minor’s room and told them to rub his feet. Mench then punched the minor on the inner thigh. The minor said it made them feel uncomfortable.
The minor said Mench allegedly drove them to McDonald’s and made sexual comments about them. Mench then spit on his finger and forcefully put it into the minor’s mouth. Mench then allegedly offered the minor money if they would show Mench a photo of themself, which the minor did not do.
When Mench drove back to the residence, Mench showed the minor a photo of his genitals. Mench asked the minor if they wanted to watch an intimate video. When the minor said no, Mench played the video.
A deputy attempted to talk to Mench but was unsuccessful.