GREENWOOD — Mrs. Curl, an ice cream shop in Greenwood, is facing backlash following the recent arrest of its owner on child pornography charges.
75-year-old John Cassin of Whiteland faces two counts of Possession of Child Pornography.
In a now-deleted Facebook post, Mrs. Curl said “Mrs. Curl has transitioned to new ownership as of January 2019 due to John's age and pending retirement. Due to pending allegations, his partners wish to reopen the business as of Sunday, April 14 and keep providing jobs to our employees and great ice cream and food that you've grown to love.”
The shop’s Facebook post said, “Effective immediately, Mr. Cassin will be stepping aside from his role at Mrs. Curl.”
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Indiana Secretary of State records show John Cassin as a “principal” for Mrs. Curl LLC since at least February 11, 2019.
A principal of an LLC doesn’t necessarily have a financial stake in the business but is generally considered a decision maker and part of the business’s leadership.
Greenwood resident and former Mrs. Curl customer Patrick Sawin recently started a Boycott Mrs. Curl Facebook page.
“I started the page because the owners of Mrs. Curl had made misleading and confusing statements as to the ownership of the business and who profits from the business,” said Sawin. “I have not seen or heard anything from the owners of the business to try to clear up any misinformation. I think it's important to know that I also want to preserve this business -- it is a staple in the community with a rich history.”
Sawin is urging people not to spend their money at Mrs. Curl.
“As long as John Cassin is a part of this business, he may be receiving profits,” said Sawin. “The onus is on ownership to assure the community otherwise.”
Call 6 Investigates called the ice cream shop Friday, but no one answered.
RTV6 also left messages for the attorney and registered agent for Mrs. Curl LLC, but we have not yet heard back, and the shop’s Facebook page is no longer available.
Call 6 Investigates also left a voicemail for Cassin’s defense attorney in his criminal case.
Cassin is scheduled for an initial hearing on May 16.
Greenwood Police arrested Cassin following an investigation that began last year.
In a probable cause affidavit, Greenwood Police Officer Brian Swisher said his investigation began on a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an agency which alerts law enforcement to reports of sexual exploitation of children on the Internet.
Swisher's investigation took him to a computer file showing a "prepubescent female" leaning back on a chair with her dress pulled up.
The officer traced the file to Cassin's personal computer.
When questioned at his home, Greenwood Police say Cassin admitted to viewing, but not uploading, child porn images on two personal computers over several years.
Cassin told police some of the images were of babies.
Police seized the newest computer and later determined Cassin's admission to be true.
According to its website, the Mrs. Curl Ice Cream Shop has been in operation for more than 40 years and has been owned by Cassin since 1997.
