ANGOLA, IN (WTVB) – Former Steuben County Sheriff’s Detective Jordan Trippe has pled not guilty to a Level 5 felony charge of sexual misconduct with a minor.
The 39-year-old former investigator waived his right to an initial hearing and entered his plea in Steuben Superior Court alongside his defense attorney Bob Bever.
The formal plea comes six weeks after Trippe was indicted by a grand jury following an Indiana State Police investigation.
Despite widespread social media outrage leading up to the hearing, anticipated public protests outside the Steuben County courthouse failed to materialize.
Special Prosecutor Timothy Sipe did not object to Trippe remaining free on bond, though Judge William Fee ordered him to register at the Steuben County Jail and unsealed the indictment records.
Trippe, who resigned in July 2026 after previously working with the Fremont Police Department and handling sex offender registrations for the sheriff’s office, faces a no-contact order and a weapons ban.
A pre-trial conference is set for January 28, 2027, with a jury trial scheduled for June 16, 2027.
A conviction could result in up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Comments