A registered sex offender who Chesterton Police said tried to lure a local girl into running away with him was sentenced last week to three years in the Indiana Department of Correction (DOC) after pleading guilty to an amended charge of neglect of a dependent.

Johnnathan A. Fuller, 38, of Michigan City—also known as Geoffrey Jacobs—was originally charged with attempted sexual misconduct with a minor, sexual misconduct with a minor, and child solicitation, following an incident in January 2011, when the CPD responded to a report of a possible burglary on South 13th Street after a witness observed one person placing bags outside the window of a home and another loading those bags into a pickup truck.

One of those persons was Fuller, the other a girl younger than 15, who advised that she was leaving home with Fuller because she was unhappy with her family life. The girl stated that she had known Fuller for three years and met him and his family at a church in Michigan City, that “she was going to his house to live with him,” that “she was planning on being with him forever,” and that “Mr. Fuller was a sex offender because he pulled someone’s pants down as a joke,” Det. Jamie Copollo stated in her probable cause affidavit.

The girl also advised police that Fuller had once dropped her at the Duneland Unit of the Boys and Girls Club, at which time she kissed him on the mouth, Copollo stated.

Under the plea agreement, the charge of child solicitation was amended to one of neglect of a dependent, a Class D felony punishable by a term of six months to three years. The charges of attempted sexual misconduct with a minor and sexual misconduct with a minor were dismissed.

Porter Superior Court Judge Bill Alexa sentenced Fuller to three years in DOC, no time suspended, on the charge of neglect of a dependent, then revoked probation which Fuller was serving in an unrelated matter and sentenced him to time served since Jan. 13, 2011.

The two sentences are to run consecutively.

Alex also ordered Fuller to pay court costs of $165 and a child abuse prevention fee of $100.

Fuller was convicted of sexual battery in Porter County in June 1998, was sentenced to a term of six years, two of those years suspended, and was released in August 1999.

Revised and Corrected

Posted 7/16/2012