Plainfield is a town in Hendricks County, Indiana, with a population of approximately 36,000. Prostitution and sex trafficking are well-documented problems in Plainfield.  For example, in November, 2024, Plainfield police said they executed search warrants at three Plainfield massage parlors as part of a human and sex trafficking investigation. Police said they started their investigation into the spas after “numerous complaints from the community regarding suspected illegal activity, including prostitution, occurring at these establishments.”

Among the tactics used to address the numerous problems generated by the local sex trade are those targeting the consumer level demand driving all sex trafficking, including arresting sex buyers and publicly disclosing their identities. For example, in December, 2025, a Plainfield man was arrested and faced felony charges after police say he paid a 15-year-old girl he met online to send him nude pictures and videos over Snapchat. The 55-year-old man was arrested on and booked into the Hendricks County Jail on six counts of felony child exploitation. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 54 years in prison. The investigation began in response to a tip from the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The tip stated that child sexual abuse material had been uploaded to a Snapchat account. It was quickly determined that the account belonged to the suspect and that it was accessed via his IP address in Plainfield. Recovered messages revealed that the man had been sharing what appeared to be child sexual abuse materials, and that he allegedly bragged about how he got the content from a 15-year-old girl he had known for over a year. Court documents state he repeatedly asked for “sessions” and nude photographs by using phrases like “I am assigning you homework.” He allegedly sent gift card access codes to the young girl in exchange for the child sexual abuse material. Despite knowing that the girl was underage, the suspect was accused of still spreading the images online and attempting to meet up with the child in person. When asked about the youngest person he had “been with,” the man reportedly said that his “youngest” was “barely 15, and I’m 55.” He was officially charged in Hendricks Superior Court with “Child Exploitation with an Aggravating Factor,” Level 4 Felony, three counts; “Child Exploitation,” Level 5 Felony, three counts. He was arrested after a warrant was issued.