Ex-IMPD officer to plead guilty to lower-level child molesting felonies

HANCOCK COUNTY, Ind. — A former Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer charged in a child molestation case has agreed to a plea deal.

According to court records, David McDaniel filed the plea agreement this week in Hancock Circuit Court. WISH-TV previously reported on McDaniel’s arrest and the accusations against him

McDaniel was charged with two Level 1 felony counts of child molesting and a Level 4 felony count of attempted child molesting.

Under the proposed agreement, McDaniel would plead guilty to the Level 4 felony count of attempted child molesting and an additional Level 4 felony count of child molesting. The two Level 1 felony charges would be dismissed.

McDaniel would also pay restitution to two victims for mental health expenses, along with court costs and a $5,000 fine.

A Level 4 felony carries a sentence of two to 12 years in prison, with an advisory sentence of six years. The plea agreement allows the sentences to be served consecutively or concurrently.

McDaniel would also be prohibited from having contact with the victims for the duration of his sentence.

A judge will decide whether to accept the plea agreement.

The victims came forward in July 2025. They told investigators McDaniel touched them inappropriately while they were sleeping. The incidents began around 2016, when the victims were about 9 years old.

The victims’ parents told investigators McDaniel sent text messages urging them not to come forward, saying he wanted to avoid public embarrassment for himself and his family.

Indiana State Police investigated the case and arrested McDaniel in July 2025.

McDaniel retired from IMPD in 2024.

If McDaniel had pleaded guilty to the Level 1 felony charges or been convicted at trial, he could have faced decades in prison.

A Level 4 felony conviction carries a sentence of two to 12 years.

About The Author

See author's posts