Staff Report

Joshua Levi Caudill

ROCHESTER — A convicted child molester was recently arrested in Fulton County for allegedly having inappropriate conversations with two children.

Joshua Levi Caudill, 25, Logansport, is charged with two counts of child solicitation, both level 5 felonies; and two counts of inappropriate communication with a child, both level 6 felonies.

On Oct. 13, a Rochester Police officer was asked by a library employee to escort two children home due to an adult man acting suspicious around the children. Upon arrival at the scene, the employee said they were concerned about messages Caudill sent to one of the children.

According to court documents, the child’s parents looked through the child’s phone and found an inappropriate picture Caudill sent to the child. Through the messages, it appeared Caudill was attempting to lure the children to a library by offering them cigarettes. Conversations with Caudill and the children occasionally were sexual in nature.

In December 2018, Caudill was convicted of child molesting, receiving a nine-year prison sentence with seven years executed and two years suspended on formal probation. Because of this incident, his probation was revoked.

On Oct. 16, a Rochester officer was informed that Caudill was at Fulton County’s probation office. In an interview, Caudill admitted to sending an inappropriate picture to the two children. He also admitted to knowing the children’s ages.

Caudill told the officer he believed a lot of people acted inappropriately around children and also blamed the children’s parents for not doing a better job of parenting.

Caudill was booked in the Fulton County Jail on Oct. 16.