Arnold
Three former Jonesville residents charged with rape and promotion of human trafficking are scheduled to be back in court Monday.
Unless there are last minute delays, Christopher S. Lovell, 41; Brandon A. Jacobs, 38; and Christina L. Moffatt, 27, will appear before Circuit Court Judge Kelly Benjamin for either a change of plea hearing or pre-trial conference.
Tests indicate the alleged victim in their cases has cognitive functioning similar to that of a toddler, and unable to given consent to sexual relations. For that reason, charges of rape were filed as a Level 3 felony.
In Salem, a 66-year-old man who is accused of paying about $600 monthly to Lovell, Jacobs and Moffatt to bring the woman to his home for sexual purposes is getting prepared for his trial this month.
However, Jon A. Arnold is being tried on an entirely different matter in that trial.
On Aug. 5, Washington Superior Judge Dustin L. Houchin agreed to delay the rape and human trafficking case against Arnold to prepare to go to trial on four significantly lesser charges: two counts of being an unregistered timber buyer (both Level 6 felonies), and two misdemeanor counts of engaging in business as a timber buyer without obtaining registration. His trial is tentatively scheduled on Aug. 27.
A pre-trial conference or change of plea hearing for Arnold on the rape and human trafficking charges will now have to wait until 1:15 p.m. on Sept. 30, while the jury trial is on hold until Jan. 21.
In Bartholomew Circuit Court, Arnold is charged with rape when the victim is mentally disabled or deficient as a Level 3 felony, and human trafficking as a Level 4 felony. His change of plea hearing before Judge Benjamin has been put off until 9 a.m. on Sept. 9, with a tentative jury trial scheduled on Oct. 8.
Arnold has been a prominent figure in the southern Indiana timber industry for over two decades. The defendant has been an owner or part-owner in three different lumber-related businesses: True Dimensions Hardware, Inc., Jon Arnold Lumber Company, and Jon Arnold Logging.
An Indiana Department of Natural Resources investigation said Arnold had not legally bought or sold timber for at least 14 years.
According to court documents, Arnold was found guilty in 2004 of dealing in lumber without being registered in Scott County. When the Salem resident was convicted of the same crimes in Washington County in 2008, his criminal history made him eligible for enhanced penalties. Online records state Arnold has not been allowed to obtain a license to buy timber in Indiana since January 2010.
Arnold also made several business deals to harvest lumber without a contract with the timber owner, which is against Indiana law, according to a probable cause affidavit in the case.
In December of 2022, a DNR detective began investigating reports that Arnold was again dealing in timber illegally. Two individuals who claimed they worked for Arnold told the detective their boss told them to get ready to start cutting trees on a property southeast of Salem. Further investigation revealed the deal was made with no contract, the affidavit states.
According to investigative reports, Arnold made 14 illegal sales of logs to four sawmills from 2022 to 2024. Four were made after his Oct. 3, 2023 arrest on 12 counts of rape, all Level 3 felonies; one count of human trafficking as a Level 4 felony; and a misdemeanor count of making an unlawful proposition, according to the affidavit.
While the rape and human trafficking case was under the jurisdiction of another judge, Arnold was released from jail on Nov. 30, 2023 on $150,000 cash bond. He remained free until an order to revoke bond was issued on March 21 – a short time after he was charged in the timber case.
That same month, the office of Washington County Prosecutor Tara Coats Hunt announced they intend to seek enhanced penalties for Arnold. The jury in the timber case will have two responsibilities: one is to determine guilt or innocence, and the other is to recommend an appropriate sentence.
One of the Bartholomew County co-defendants is facing one criminal charge in Salem. Moffatt is charged with promoting prostitution as a Level 5 felony in Washington Circuit Court. She’s scheduled for a pre-trial conference before Judge Larry Medlock at 9 a.m. on Oct. 10, with a jury trial tentatively set for Jan. 7.
