A summary of mainstream reporting, plus the facts and perspectives it leaves out. A more honest account of each story.
Back to all stories

Conductor Julian Wachner Gets Probation, Must Register As Sex Offender

Conductor Julian Wachner was sentenced Wednesday, September 9, 2026, to nearly six years of probation and ordered to register as a sex offender in Marion Superior Court in Indiana.[1]

He received a suspended sentence and was given credit for five days he had already spent in jail.[1] He pleaded guilty on July 15, 2026, to five counts of possession of child sex abuse material and one count of cocaine possession as part of a plea agreement.[1]

Wachner was arrested in August 2025 while working as a fourth-grade math teacher at an Indianapolis charter school, which fired him after the charges became public.[1] Indianapolis police charging documents say he admitted using cryptocurrency hundreds of times to buy videos showing children about 1 to 16 years old, with a stated preference for ages 6 to 13.[1]

  1. NPR
Courts and Criminal Justice Child Exploitation and Online Crime
Show source details & analysis (1 source)

📌 Key Facts

  • On Wednesday, September 9, 2026, Julian Wachner was sentenced in Marion Superior Court in Indiana to nearly six years of probation.
  • Wachner must register as a sex offender and received credit for five days previously spent in jail.
  • He pleaded guilty on July 15, 2026, to five counts of possession of child sex abuse material and one count of cocaine possession under a plea agreement.
  • Indianapolis police charging documents say Wachner admitted using cryptocurrency hundreds of times to buy child sex abuse videos involving children approximately 1 to 16 years old, preferring ages 6 to 13.
  • At the time of his August 2025 arrest, Wachner was working as a fourth-grade math teacher at an Indianapolis charter school, which fired him after learning of the charges.

📰 Source Timeline (1)

Follow how coverage of this story developed over time