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KOKOMO, Ind. — A Kokomo father is speaking out after he says his son was victimized by someone the family knew and trusted.
Charles Jansen is criminally charged with Vicarious Sexual Gratification with a child under 14 years of age, a Level 4 felony.
He faces up to 12 years in prison.
Howard County prosecutors allege Jansen directed the child to urinate into a cup to satisfy his “sexual desires.”
The names are redacted in court documents filed this week, but Brok Westfall. of Kokomo, says the alleged victim is his son.
“It was hard,” said Westfall. “I feel like I kind of failed my son.”
Westfall says he too was a victim of Jansen.
“There’s a lot of guilt and shame and a lot of embarrassment,” said Westfall.
Charles Jansen is not charged with anything related to Brok Westfall because the statute of limitations has expired, according to Westfall’s attorney, Shaunestte Terrell.
Brok Westfall’s allegations against Jansen are included in the prosecutor’s charging documents, which say in April 2023, Westfall went to the Indiana State Police Peru Post to report that in 2006-2008 when he was 16-18-years-old, Jansen groomed him and directed him to perform sexual related acts for money.
"It slowly progressed into 'Show me shoe pics, feet pics, and selfies,' and then progressed into 'I've got a bottle here why don't you urinate in it? Why don't you chew my food and spit it out and make me eat it,'" Westfall told WRTV.
At the time, Jansen was a teacher at Taylor High School and Westfall was a student.
Westfall considered Jansen a friend.
"I just felt kind of trapped,” said Westfall. “I was very uncomfortable with it, but I didn’t want to have to disclose why I stopped hanging out with him.”
Westfall said it wasn’t until he had issues in his marriage, which ended in divorce, that he sought counseling and reported Jansen to Indiana State Police.
As a result, his son received a forensic interview and the case was sent to the prosecutor.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Westfall in response to the criminal charges filed against Jansen.
Shaunestte Terrell is the attorney for Brok Westfall and his son. She’s also a former sex crimes prosecutor.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my career,” said Terrell. “It’s very disturbing, it’s appalling.”
Terrell said she’s still investigating and speaking with people who knew Jansen.
“Our goal in representing this family is to hold the individual responsible for what he did and not just him, but the other culpable parties,” said Terrell. “A lot of kids, my client included, didn’t realize that this is abuse.”
Court documents say another student reported Jansen’s behavior to the school district in 2011.
Jansen resigned from his teaching position on September 14, 2011.
WRTV Investigates asked Taylor Community School Corporation Superintendent Steve Dishon why Jansen was allowed to resign rather than terminate him.
“Charles Jansen, an employee of Taylor Community School Corporation (TCSC) was immediately placed on administrative leave August 22, 2011, and the Indiana State Police were notified after the district was made aware of his questionable conduct with a minor,” said Dishon in an email to WRTV. “Jansen was never allowed to return to the campus”.
Dishon said the district followed the legal due process protocol for a licensed teacher.
“An internal investigation revealed conduct which would have resulted in immediate termination,” said Dishon in an email. “However, because Jansen tendered his resignation on September 14, 2011, during the course of the investigation, the district was left with no additional recourse leaving it in the hands of legal authorities.”
Dishon said the superintendent at the time reported Jansen to Indiana Department of Education’s licensing division.
WRTV Investigates contacted IDOE, and a spokesperson said they don’t have any records of such a report.
“A search of our records does not show that IDOE ever received a notification regarding Charles Jansen,” said Molly Williams, Deputy Director of Communications at IDOE, in an email to WRTV. “Mr. Jansen’s teaching license expired in 2014 and he does not currently hold an active teaching license in Indiana.”
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Jansen went on to work for St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Kokomo, records show.
According to a post on the City of Kokomo’s website praising Jansen in 2022, it said Jansen also worked as associate director of parish life and communications at St. Patrick Catholic Church.
Jansen was arrested on June 23 and booked into the Howard County Jail.
WRTV Investigates contacted the jail, which told us Jansen does not want to speak with us.
WRTV also called a phone number listed for Jansen and we did not hear back. We also left a message for his attorney.
He has pleaded not guilty.
Brok Westfall says he’s speaking out in the hopes of protecting other children.
“If something feels off, investigate it,” said Westfall. “Talk to your kids, see who they're close with, see who they're talking to. Because you never know."
Jansen is scheduled to be back in court on August 20 and faces up to 12 years behind bars.
