(BLOOMINGTON) - An economics lecturer at Indiana University Bloomington has been arrested following an investigation into alleged online solicitation of a minor.
Police identified the suspect as 61-year-old James K. Self of Bloomington. He was taken into custody Thursday morning and booked into the Monroe County Jail on a preliminary charge of child solicitation. Bond information was not immediately available.
According to Bloomington police, the case began Jan. 8 after a tip from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office in Florida, which had been conducting undercover operations targeting individuals suspected of soliciting minors online.
Investigators said an officer posing as a 14-year-old boy communicated with a man believed to be Self through social media. Authorities allege the suspect requested explicit photographs, discussed meeting in person and sent images of himself. Police said the individual identified himself as a teacher at a local college.
Officers later located Self in Bloomington and conducted a traffic stop around 6:45 a.m. Thursday. After an interview with investigators, he was formally arrested. Police also executed a search warrant at his residence as part of the ongoing investigation.
University officials confirmed Self is a faculty member and said he has been suspended and banned from campus pending further action. The university declined additional comment, citing personnel matters.
Formal charges had not yet been filed at the time of the announcement. The investigation remains ongoing.