Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
A Mentone man was arrested after allegedly having sex with a 17-year-old and sending the juvenile videos of the two engaged in sex afterwards.
Gabriel Michael Reger, 30, of 108 S. Oak St., Mentone, is charged with intimidation with a deadly weapon, a level 5 felony; and two counts of dissemination of matter harmful to minors, level 6 felonies.
He was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 12:55 a.m. Saturday on a $5,250 preliminary bond.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Friday a Warsaw Police Department officer was contacted by another officer concerning a juvenile. The juvenile was interviewed by an officer and, during the interview, the juvenile said they had sex with a 30-year-old man in Columbia City they met on SnapChat.
The juvenile said they began communicating with a person who went by “Kaleb,” who it was later determined to be Reger. On or about Nov. 1, the two met in person and had sex. The juvenile spent the night and on or about Nov. 2, the juvenile told Reger they were 17. The juvenile and Reger met two additional times and had sex.
On or about Nov. 9, the juvenile received a message from Reger of him sitting inside his vehicle with a handgun sitting in his lap. Accompanying the photo was a message where Reger said he was going to do a drive-by shooting and knew where the juvenile lived. A screen grabbed video of the juvenile’s location on SnapChat was located in Reger’s cell phone. The juvenile said they recognized the vehicle because they had ridden with Reger in the vehicle.
During the course of the investigation, the handgun was determined to be a Crossman bb gun, but at the time of the message, the juvenile believed it to be a handgun.
The juvenile said they became aware of several videos Reger made of the two of them having sex. The juvenile had not consented to the videos being taken. Reger sent the juvenile five videos of them having sex, as well as a video of Reger having sex with a 19-year-old.
On Saturday, an officer interviewed Reger. Reger confirmed he met with the juvenile on SnapChat. He said he believed the juvenile was 19 the first day they had sex and learned the next day they were 17.
Reger admitted he videotaped himself having sex with the juvenile. Reger confirmed he sent videos of himself and the juvenile having sex to the juvenile. Reger also admitted to sending the photo of himself holding a gun to the juvenile and making a statement like “I’ll smoke your whole family.” Reger admitted to knowing where the juvenile was because of SnapChat map, according to court documents
Videos of the juvenile and Reger engaged in sex or nudity were found in Reger’s phone.
