Man 'built like SpongeBob' tried to meet minor for sex: Cops
Share this @internewscast.com

Background: Randolph County Jail in Winchester, Indiana (Google Maps). Inset: James Raber (Randolph County Sheriff’s Department).

A man from Indiana was reportedly deceived by the police into thinking an undercover officer was a 13-year-old girl. The man is said to have requested various sexual acts and described himself as “built like SpongeBob.”

James A. Raber, 63, was charged in Randolph County Circuit on May 29 with attempted child molestation and child solicitation.

Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.

The interaction between Raber and a deputy from the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department started on the night of May 8. This was after the deputy created a fake profile on Facebook Messenger, as stated in a probable cause affidavit signed by the deputy and obtained by Law&Crime.

“Guess how old I turned on my birthday?” the fake account said that night, to which Raber reportedly responded, “let me guess 15.”

“Nope 13!” the undercover detective replied.

In the days that followed, Raber sent numerous sexually explicit messages and asked how the girl, named “Steph,” could “hide out” with him in “safe country,” per the affidavit. Raber allegedly thought “Steph” was living with another man and was “constantly” questioning whether she was involved with someone else sexually, expressing that he felt “jealous,” as detailed in the court document.

He allegedly asked the fake profile to send a photo of herself and even offered to pick her up and help her take a bus down to Florida, where the fake profile stated they wanted to go, but not before she performed sex acts on him.

According to the affidavit, when they arranged to meet, Raber again asked “my sexy girl” if she was having sex with the person Raber believed was the other man, and indicated he was pleased that she did not.

“Now I’m a very big tall guy, 6’4” 295 lbs, I’m built like Spongebob,” he said, adding a vulgar sexual promise: “So if you ever had a fantasy about f—ing … SpongeBob, that’s me.”

On May 29, when the detective posing as the girl suggested a difficulty in being able to leave to arrive at their agreed-upon meeting spot, a Village Pantry in Farmland, Indiana, Raber is said to have replied, “WTF, that really screws me driving to there today.” He at one point messaged for her to not walk to the bar where he was, “because they have cameras in the lot,” per the court document.

Once the fake profile said they were leaving to meet, Raber reportedly left the bar and went to the Village Pantry, where Farmland Police Department officers and Randolph County sheriff’s deputies were waiting for him. They detained him “without conflict.” The detective who signed the affidavit said he confirmed Raber was the suspect when, during their interview, Raber confirmed that it was “his account that he was having the conversation with ‘Steph.”” Raber’s vehicle also reportedly matched the one he described to the fake profile.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Chaos Unleashed: Woman Accused of Biting Officer Amid Royal Disturbance

A Canberra woman has been charged after being accused of biting a…

Shocking Arrest: Bar-Hopping Parents Overlook Baby Left in Car While Jaywalking

Background: Downtown Austin, Texas (Google Maps). Insets (left to right): Jaslyn Tovar,…

Police Alert: Rising Oyster Thefts Highlight Dangers of Bargain Shellfish

A series of oyster thefts has prompted police to issue a caution…

Tragic Death of Malnourished 6-Year-Old: Allegations of Cruel Treatment in Dog Crate Emerge

Inset: Susan Robinson (Mecklenburg County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The North Carolina home…

71-Year-Old Brain Tumor Patient Assaulted During Dog Walk, Rescued by Good Samaritans, Daughter Reports

Jeff Zimmerman (left) with daughter Kiera Zimmerman (right) and their family dog…

Tragic Turn: Man Shoots Partner Over Coin Dispute with Child in Car – Shocking Details Revealed

Inset: Alan Michael Mellow (Barry County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Missouri apartment…

Obama-Appointed Judge Denies Harsh Sentence for Biden Threat Suspect, Sparking Controversy

President Joe Biden gives remarks on student debt relief at Delaware State…

Adelaide Caravan Park Tragedy: Man Faces Murder Charges Following Grisly Discovery

A man has been charged with murder after an elderly man was…

Teenager with Developmental Challenges Disappears from Party, Raising Concerns of Foul Play

When Erica Bilheimer was just 10, she embraced a new identity with…

Tragic Incident: Toddler Passes Away in Hot Garage as Mother Naps, Police Report

Inset: Tiffany Huff Holmes (Polk County Jail). Background: Home in Bondurant, Iowa,…

Cyclist Tragically Killed in Daytime Hit-and-Run Involving Hospital Employee Driving Untrained 20,000-Pound Truck: Lawsuit Alleges

Left inset: Alexander Rozos (Groce Funeral Home and Cremation Service). Right inset:…

Neighborhood Guardian and Father of Two Tragically Struck by Dodge Ram Driver

Left: Andrew Baim (KOMO/YouTube). Right: Nick Valison (Weeks” Funeral Homes). A man…