A former Crawfordsville High School secretary is facing a dozen felony counts after she allegedly shared inappropriate photographs with male students.
Sarah Renee Ewoldt, 33, of Crawfordsville was arrested Tuesday on a warrant charging her with 11 counts of dissemination of matter harmful to minors and one count of attempt to commit child seduction.
The charges stem from an investigation that began in January when an adult male notified the Crawfordsville Police Department that his step-son was in possession of inappropriate pictures of Ewoldt. He told police his step-son and one of the boy’s friends had been talking with Ewoldt via Snapchat, a popular social media app, and that she had shared multiple images of herself in a negligee, partially clothed, nude and in seductive poses.
When police questioned Ewoldt in February she confirmed she had been communicating with one of the boys via Snapchat, but initially characterized their communication as “nothing different from what would already have been visible on Facebook.” When confronted with the pictures police had in their possession, Ewoldt said she didn’t know they had “gone through.” She was then informed that Snapchat was being subpoenaed.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Ewoldt told investigators she is a flirt who craves attention and validation. She then told police she had been communicating with another CHS student who is an adult and had sent him similar pictures.
Ewoldt allegedly contacted one of the students after her police interview, asking him to get rid of the pictures and not tell anyone. However, the student cooperated with police and shared with them the pictures of Ewoldt in various outfits with partial nudity and explicit videos. He told police there was never any physical relationship between them.
Dr. Scott Bowling, superintendent of Crawfordsville Community Schools Corp., said Ewoldt is no longer employed with the district.
“Working in conjunction with the Crawfordsville Police Department, Crawfordsville School Corporation was notified in February that Sarah Ewoldt, a secretary for the school corporation, was the subject of a criminal investigation that involved a student at Crawfordsville High School. Upon receiving this notification, Ms. Ewoldt was immediately removed from contact with students pending the outcome of an internal investigation. Our investigation concluded in February. Ms. Ewoldt was immediately terminated as a result of this investigation. She is no longer employed with Crawfordsville schools.”
Ewoldt was booked into the Montgomery County Jail at 10:22 p.m. Tuesday. She posted a $2,000 bond and was released about an hour later. Her initial hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. June 13 in Montgomery Superior Court.
A level 6 felony is the lowest level of felony in Indiana. It carries a penalty upon conviction of a fixed term between six months and two and half years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
