A Franklin man was arrested after police said he was soliciting juveniles for prostitution through text messages or social media.
Mihirbhai Patel, 27, was arrested on a charge of promoting prostitution, a level 4 felony.
How many teens Patel had contacted, how he came to know them, the content of his requests and how long he had been engaged in such communication is unclear. The Franklin Police Department declined to release further information and referred questions to the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Information regarding whether the teens Patel had contacted lived in Johnson County and how his messages were discovered also was not available.
The New Whiteland Police Department contacted the Franklin Police Department on Wednesday to provide information about texts being sent to children under the age of 18 in which they were being solicited for prostitution, a Franklin Police Department news release said.
It is unknown how investigators came to identify Patel as a suspect. The news release said he revealed himself to investigators and was interviewed.
Patel, 2250 Cedar Mill Drive, was arrested and taken to the Johnson County jail. He was held on $6,600 bond.
A level 4 felony carries a maximum sentence of up to 12 years in prison.
