Carl Deveier Wemple, 45, New Palestine
HANCOCK COUNTY — A New Palestine man identified as an Indianapolis firefighter was one of 21 men arrested late last week in a child solicitation sting in Johnson County. The work was part of a multiple-jurisdiction operation to help officials identify child predators.
Carl Deveier Wemple, 45, 4900 block of W. Quail Run Drive, New Palestine, has been identified as one of the men arrested according to information provided by the arresting agencies. Wemple, an Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) employee was taken into custody by officials in Johnson County Nov. 29. He was being held in a padded cell at the Johnson County Jail under a $6,000 cash bond. However, Sunday, he was no longer listed as an inmate. While officials say the 21 men are facing child solicitation charges, a Level 4 felony. Wemple has not officially been charged yet according to court records and from officials with the Johnson County Prosecutor’s office.
A release from Johnson County Sheriff’s Department identified Wemple as one of 21 people arrested during a three-day sting operation that began last Tuesday.
“Investigators began orchestrating this sting several months ago resulting in numerous individuals coming to meet what they believed to be a 14- or 15-year-old child,” the sheriff’s office said in a release.
According to officials from the IFD, Wemple was suspended without pay indefinitely and has been a part of the department for 17 years. In a statement, officials from the IFD said they will continue to follow up as additional information becomes available.
Officials from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Bargersville Police Department, Franklin Police Department, Greenfield Police Department (GPD) and the United States Secret Service orchestrated a sting over several months where the adult individuals involved thought they were there to meet a 14- or 15-year-old child at the 300 block of East County Line Road in Greenwood.
Chuck McMichael, deputy chief for the GPD, has confirmed the department had one GPD official observing how the sting operation works in holding the men accountable.
“We had a detective there with them — for training and learning,” McMichael said. “We didn’t have a lot of direct involvement. They have been doing these types of investigations for a while, so we were learning from them.”
The most recent operation does follow an earlier investigation this spring that occurred in April which resulted in 32 being arrested in a child sex sting.
“The only way to protect our citizens is to be proactive, think outside of the box, and have a prosecutor who is willing to go the extra mile,” Johnson County Sheriff Duane E. Burgess said in the release.
Burgess went on to note in a release, “The websites that these people use to have sexual relationships with young people are very disturbing. As Johnson County Sheriff, I would also say that it is quite common for offenders in these cases to have previously explored these locations, met or attempted to meet a minor child for sexual gratification.”
