An Indiana Sheriff’s Deputy has been arrested for allegedly posing as a woman on Facebook to harass a former schoolteacher he dated, according to local law enforcement.
Derek Joseph Bogenschutz, 36, is facing a charge of felony identity deception, as reported by the Indiana State Police.
The accused had prior experience as a deputy with the Jay County Sheriff’s Office and also served as a part-time resource officer at the elementary school where the woman was employed.
The exact time when Bogenschutz ceased working for the Sheriff’s Office remains uncertain.
In February, the Union City Police Department launched an investigation following a complaint from the teacher, as reported by the Star Press, referencing a press release from state troopers.
She believed that a woman named “Katie Morgan” was bothering her and her boyfriend, who was a police officer in Union City.
However, the individual referred to as “Katie Morgan” was not a real person.
According to state troopers, Bogenschutz was reportedly the individual behind that fraudulent profile. An individual using a female pseudonym reportedly contacted the teacher, alleging that her boyfriend was “playing” both of them, as stated in court documents.
The alleged deception appears to have escalated.
Authorities allege that Bogenschutz provided the teacher with screenshots of conversations that supposedly depict “Katie Morgan” and the teacher’s boyfriend in a dispute regarding other women.
It remains uncertain if the staged arguments were genuine discussions; however, investigators report that Bogenschutz did reach out to the teacher’s boyfriend eventually.
The boyfriend reported the harassment himself and informed a colleague who is a Jay County sheriff’s deputy.
State troopers reported that the memory of the other Jay County deputy was refreshed. He remembered that Bogenschutz had previously made a false Facebook profile — for work-related reasons — during his time as a sergeant with the Indiana Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Authorities reported that the name of the case work profile, likely intended to aid in apprehending child predators, was “Katie Morgan.”
According to state troopers, Bogenschutz’s former task force colleague maintained access to the fraudulent work-related Facebook account. Upon raising his suspicions, he reviewed the message history and reportedly discovered multiple messages exchanged with the teacher and her boyfriend.
In 2019, Bogenshutz faced disciplinary action from Jay County, receiving five days of unpaid leave and a 30-day suspension of his take-home car privileges after a citizen recorded him speeding, leading to a confrontational encounter, as reported by ABC affiliate WRTV in Indianapolis.
The individual facing charges was taken into custody on Wednesday morning in Miami County. Authorities indicated that he would likely be sent back to Jay County shortly after. State jail records indicate that Bogenschutz received a “general release” shortly before Thursday afternoon.