Cloverdale man charged with sex crimes

Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Paugh

GREENCASTLE -- A Cloverdale man has been charged with 21 sex offenses -- eight in Putnam County and 13 in Morgan County.

Putnam County Prosecutor Tim Bookwalter called the case of Jonathan R. Paugh "about the worst I've ever seen."

Paugh is charged with two Class A felonies, one Class B felony, two Class C felonies, two Class D felonies and one Class A misdemeanor in Putnam County. In Morgan County, he faces four Class B felonies, three Class C felonies and six Class D felonies.

The various charges include sexual misconduct with a minor, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, dissemination of matter harmful to a minor, activity related to obscene performance, vicarious sexual gratification with a child.

"Mr. Paugh is presently in the Morgan County Jail," Bookwalter said. "I will ask the court for an order to transport him to Putnam County for an initial hearing."

If convicted, Paugh could face up to 137 years for just the Putnam County charges.

Court documents alleged Paugh had two victims, and that he molested them repeatedly over a seven-year span beginning in 2003. Some of the alleged acts occurred in Cloverdale, while others were reported to have taken place in Martinsville.

Court records alleged that Paugh began by showing his victims pornographic movies, and that eventually he began engaging them in various sex acts.

One of the victims told authorities Paugh bribed the victim with gifts such a video games and a guitar.

An affidavit of probable cause said that when he was interviewed, Paugh told police he had "a heavy heart" and that what he had done to his victims "bothers him a lot."

Paugh also admitted to smoking marijuana and using hallucinogenic drugs with his victims, court documents said.

Paugh's bond in Morgan County has been set at $60,000 surety plus $5,000 cash.

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  • may this man burn in hell.

    -- Posted by climberguy on Wed, Sep 1, 2010, at 7:32 PM
  • If it's the worst he's ever seen it's only because these people aren't caught enough or actually taken to court. My sympathies to all of the victims I just wish we could get this to stop completely.

    -- Posted by So... on Wed, Sep 1, 2010, at 9:43 PM
  • why r people like this man still alive what happend to do on to others as you want others to do on to you ths is a serious problem through out the country It is sick

    let me say this the court will do there job ah so he will sit in jail for the rest of his life probly in protective confinement or being watched 247 to make sure he doesnt get hurt well so what people like this should be treated just as they treated there victims but worse it sickens me that people do this ONE ITS WRONG 2 its wrong 3 its wrong illigal and rediculous that people can call themselfs humans after doing thing like this its one thing to do it but its another to say I feel so sorry for what i did and pretend to show remorse for victims when really they dont mean crap by it theyll say anything to try to get away with there crimes

    guess what maybe we need to resarch the were abouts of our sexual criminals and keep better track of them and make sure that theres no possible way they can get around our children

    we should do what some other states do and make them post sighns out in there yards but instead we should make them buy billboards and warning sighns for around there house and street and community

    they should state I - -- have been convicted as a --- and there fore am forced to report my convictions of being a ---

    these sighs should have to be part of court cost probation fees and other cost and should have to be purchesed by sexual criminals imediately after being released after any sex crime and they should have to remain up until they are dead also they should have to wear a sighn when out in public at all times and while at work that are in big and noticeble

    in the old days this wasnt tolarated so why is it to day

    if our children familys or anyone else we new was a victim of a sex crime there would be no waiting on law enforcement it would be a rope a gun tourture etc

    there is no excuse get people like this off the streets you have drug bust then have raids for this and no a search warrents should not be requierd for anything that has to do with a suspected sex criminals or convicted sex offenders nor should an arresst warrants be required they say that in the us u are required to ur own privcy maybe so but not if ur a violent sex offender freedom is earned trust is earned dont violate ethier of them dont do crimes is ur to whimpy enough to do the time

    this world is full of too many sickos

    please anybody let ur county know what u think about this issue since it seems to be a big one round indiana

    -- Posted by countryboy72 on Thu, Sep 2, 2010, at 12:52 AM
  • Interesting. This went on for 7 years in two counties and no one had a clue? Where were the victims parents for seven years? Not one of the victims friends or relatives questioned where the gifts, video games, guitars etc. came from. I am guessing there is more to this story than is being told.

    -- Posted by exhoosier2 on Thu, Sep 2, 2010, at 8:16 AM
  • @ exhoosier2

    isn't there always ? a lot of folks in here are very quick to scream bloody murder w/o thinking of the cause.

    Sure what he did is/was bad. No question about that, but has anybody given a thought to WHY he has become that way? Humans generally are not 'cruel' to each other from a biological/Nature point of view. They are only when the humans direct or indirect existence is threatened (living-space, food, shelter, relationship/courtship/mating). They become that way because of socio-economic and social environmental influences and life-experiences. So what has happened to him in his past, in his life (youth?) to become more attracted to a sexually immature boy (likely, considering the gifts mentioned in the article) than to a close-to-his-age-range woman ?

    I put a bigger portion of blame to our current society model we live in, where (biologically normal) sexuality is made a taboo and violence is promoted - if you don't believe this - see for yourself what you'll find on your daily TV-program.

    -- Posted by think-tank on Thu, Sep 2, 2010, at 9:30 AM
  • These guys are good at what they do. They find the kids who are vulnerable, who are in circumstances where they can look like the good guy compared to the surroundings, and sell what they do with kids as fun and secret and special. It's not always someones fault that they figured out how to do this well. He knew it was wrong.. that big trouble was coming, and we can't do anything to deter them. We are left just to punish them for the crime when we get a chance. He will be in prison a long time. I don't believe his remorse. He could have felt bad in any of those 7 years and stopped. I never worry about those numbers up there in the article about maximum years.. that never happens. But I am pretty sure he would be a very old man before anyone sees him again. We have to be satisfied with what is really unsatisfiable for some of the worst criminals of the world. No punishment unrings the bell.

    -- Posted by Pojoe on Thu, Sep 2, 2010, at 9:41 AM
  • @ think-tank

    Oh please. That is all.

    @ Countryboy72

    I understand your anger and agree with it but the courts will not put him away for the rest of his life. It just does not happen. Watch the case and stew in your anger some more then start writing letters to your congressman asking for a change.

    -- Posted by So... on Thu, Sep 2, 2010, at 10:43 AM
  • The sad thing is most counties spend considerable monies to "protect the children". In the other story today about the Res-care girl it talks of the 15 year old who is at Res-Care as punishment for running away from an abusive home environment while her 3 or 4 younger siblings are still in that environment. In this story the children suffered who-knows-what for seven years before it was found out. What changed? New faces in CPS? Someone took an interest? It's election year?

    -- Posted by exhoosier2 on Thu, Sep 2, 2010, at 11:02 AM
  • Think-tank,, I agree totally, but your point is too deep for the mainstream to understand.

    -- Posted by Xgamer on Thu, Sep 2, 2010, at 12:28 PM
  • Xgamer and think tank you could be right, but doesn't what the mainstream or majority think constitute what is "normal" in our society? Just what is the definition of "biologically normal sexuality" anyway?

    -- Posted by exhoosier2 on Thu, Sep 2, 2010, at 2:47 PM
  • there has to be way to make these people suffer for the rest of their lives the way the kids are going to. and i dont mean prison, lucked up for the rest of their lives. they dont deserve any kind of life.

    -- Posted by pukee on Thu, Sep 2, 2010, at 6:05 PM
  • these people need to do more than locked up for the rest of their lives. the pain and suffering of these kids will have for the rest of their lives is unbelievable. the molesters need a more harsh sentence.

    -- Posted by pukee on Thu, Sep 2, 2010, at 6:10 PM
  • I worked with this guy a few years back and I never would of even guessed he was a child molester. He was kind of quiet, friendly and appeared to me to be a family man. You never would thought him to be that way and that is why these things go on right under people's noses without a hint of detection.

    -- Posted by dreamers on Thu, Sep 2, 2010, at 6:42 PM
  • I want to know where this guy lives! My children and I were ridding our bikes in OUR neighborhood well trying to, Reporters were all over looking for this guys house. If he lives where I think he live he had access to numerous amount of children EVERYDAY! My children and I ride past this house daily along with several other children. Parents we need to teach our children it is not OK for adults to touch them and to tell, tell as soon as you can to put a stop to this. It is sad that this happens to young ones all the time and they are scared to tell then spend the rest of their lives dealing with this ordeal by their selves.

    Makes me scared to leave my house.

    -- Posted by jakesims on Thu, Sep 2, 2010, at 10:47 PM
  • ya this guy was my neighbor! wtf! i always had a weird feeling, i even paid him to weedeat my lawn, he lived in the neighbors freakin camper! nice to know my neighbors

    -- Posted by ummya on Fri, Sep 3, 2010, at 1:20 AM
  • The Marijuana made him do it! Marijuana is the devil!

    -- Posted by 1stamendrights on Sun, Sep 5, 2010, at 11:20 AM
  • @ so yes maybe i did ramble on but this is one issue that deeply troubles me because i hate that children are prey or anyone for instance as we are supposed to be providers and care takers for our youth not hurt them i think that if the laws changed then people would get the point

    -- Posted by countryboy72 on Mon, Sep 6, 2010, at 1:03 AM
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