By ZOË WATKINS
zwatkins@bedfordcountypost.com
Shelbyville Police Department photo
With the aid of the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department, Shelbyville Police arrested Robert Austin Mohrmann, 26, on Monday for outstanding warrants for solicitation of a minor, attempted aggravated statutory rape, aggravated assault, evading arrest by motor vehicle, and driving on a revoked license.
On March 6, SPD detectives conducted an undercover operation to capture Mohrmann, who had arranged to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex.
“He was reaching out to an actual, legitimate 13-year-old juvenile,” Det. Nathan Everhart told the Post Tuesday. “The conversation between him and the juvenile on his end had become sexually explicit.”
Everhart said the juvenile’s guardians reached out to the police. Law enforcement were given consent to take over the juvenile’s phone and social media.
“That’s when we started talking in place of the juvenile,” Everhart said. “He requested to pick her up, so we had formed a plan and gave him a specific location. Unbeknownst to him it was us waiting on him.”
While attempting to take Mohrmann into custody, he fled the area in a white Ford Fusion, almost striking detectives.
“He did everything he could do to get away,” said Everhart. “He actually backed into my car.
“Then turned his vehicle towards a couple of the other detectives and almost ran into them before speeding out of the parking lot.”
According to Everhart, Mohrmann was arrested in Manchester.
“I had received information about his possible whereabouts and location. I contacted detectives over there,” said Everhart. “They had information about who else was staying in that house, which corresponded with the information I had as of who he was hanging out with. So it all added up.”
After tracking down his location, law enforcement discovered Mohrmann had spray-painted the car black.
The 26-year-old was arrested on Monday and was charged with solicitation of a minor and attempted aggravated statutory rape.
“The fact that he showed up to pick her up, it articulates that the act would have happened had it not been intercepted by us. And so that’s the attempted,” said Everhart. “The aggravated portion is simply the year-range between the 13-year-old, and he’s 26.”
That is, there has to be a 10-year or more age difference to be considered an aggravated offense.
Law enforcement like Everhart are grateful to have gotten Mohrmann into custody. However, Everhart said this occurrence of soliciting juveniles online for sexual exploitation has become more common.
“I would like to see parents and guardians more aware of their children especially the younger children, who have access to social media. Pick up their phone and go through it. See who they’re talking to because this is a growing issue, not just here but everywhere,” said Everhart.
“What I’ve seen increase as well is adults talking to children at even younger ages. That’s very much increased.”
In a post on Monday, SPD wrote, “We want to express our deepest gratitude to the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department and their detectives for their collaboration and teamwork in swiftly resolving this matter.”
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