PENDLETON, Ind. (WISH) — A former autism behavioral therapist accused of molesting children admitted to police he’d been sexually assaulting an infant since they were less than two months old.

News 8 previously reported Alec Hegge was taken into custody July 24 by members of the Fishers-based Hamilton County Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Hegge, 31, worked with autistic children at Changing Lives Behavior Analysis Inc. in Anderson. He marked his second year at the facility in June, but is no longer an employee.

The investigation started on March 27 when detectives in Ohio received a CyberTip about a woman sending several files of child sex abuse material to Hegge over Snapchat.

The woman, referred to as “Duncan” in a probable cause affidavit, admitted to police that she made the child pornography, later indicating she created videos of two children she cared for as a nanny.

She also admitted to sexually abusing at least two kids she cared for.

Officers notified the children’s families of the abuse, but due to their ages, the victims could not be interviewed.

After months of investigation, Hegge was tracked down and taken into custody by the Hamilton County Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force on July 24.

Court documents say that Hegge, like Duncan, acknowledged his relationship with the nanny on social media. Hegge reportedly then confessed he “directed and requested Duncan to sexually assault the minor victims.” He paid for the videos and photos using CashApp and PayPal.

Later in the interview, detectives say Hegge admitted to sexually assaulting an infant since they were was at least two months old, saying the most recent assault was two days before his arrest.

A search of Hegge’s phone located 140 files of child pornography, which Hegge said he would save on different apps but never directly to his phone.

In a release on Hegge’s arrest, detectives said Hegge claimed he never hurt the patients he worked with because “there were too many safeguards in place.”

Fishers Police Department Lt. Doug Baker said in a previous release that though Hegge may not have molested other children, but, because of his work with autistic children, investigators think more victims exist.

As of Thursday, Hegge was still listed as an inmate at the Madison County jail.

Court records show he now faces five charges for two counts of child molesting, two counts of child porn possession, and one count of child exploitation.

Families who worked with Hegge and suspect victimization were asked to contact Greenfield Police Department Detective Chris Borgmann at 317-595-3467.

Help is available for victims of domestic violence. Below is a list of suggested resources on the Domestic Violence Network website:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788
• National Domestic Violence Hotline en español: 800-799-7233 o texto “START” al 88788
• Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence: 24-hour hotline available at 800-332-7385
• Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking
• La Plaza Indy
• The Julian Center
• Indiana Child Abuse Hotline: 800-800-5556
• National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673

WASHINGTON (AP) — For weeks, President Donald Trump was promising the world economy would change on Friday with his new tariffs in place. It was an ironclad deadline, administration officials assured the public.

But when Trump signed the order Thursday night imposing new tariffs on 68 countries and the European Union, the start date of the punishing import taxes was pushed back seven days so that the tariff schedule could be updated. The change — while potentially welcome news to countries that had not yet reached a deal with the U.S. — injected a new dose of uncertainty for consumers and businesses still wondering what’s going to happen and when.

Trump has promised that his tax hikes on the nearly $3 trillion in goods imported to the United States will usher in newfound wealth, launch a cavalcade of new factory jobs, reduce the budget deficits and, simply, get other countries to treat America with more respect.

The vast tariffs risk jeopardizing America’s global standing as allies feel forced into unfriendly deals. As taxes on the raw materials used by U.S. factories and basic goods, the tariffs also threaten to create new inflationary pressures and hamper economic growth — concerns the Trump White House has dismissed.

Questions swirl around the tariffs despite Trump’s eagerness

As the clock ticked toward Trump’s self-imposed deadline, few things seemed to be settled other than the president’s determination to levy the taxes he has talked about for decades. The very legality of the tariffs remains an open question as a U.S. appeals court on Thursday heard arguments on whether Trump had exceeded his authority by declaring an “emergency” under a 1977 law to charge the tariffs, allowing him to avoid congressional approval.

Trump was ebullient as much of the world awaited what he would do.

“Tariffs are making America GREAT & RICH Again,” he said Thursday morning on Truth Social.

Others saw a policy carelessly constructed by the U.S. president, one that could impose harms gradually over time that would erode America’s power and prosperity.

“The only things we’ll know for sure on Friday morning are that growth-sapping U.S. import taxes will be historically high and complex, and that, because these deals are so vague and unfinished, policy uncertainty will remain very elevated,” said Scott Lincicome, a vice president of economics at the Cato Institute. “The rest is very much TBD.”

The new tariffs build off ones announced in the spring

Trump initially imposed the Friday deadline after his previous “Liberation Day” tariffs in April resulted in a stock market panic. His unusually high tariff rates unveiled then led to recession fears, prompting Trump to impose a 90-day negotiating period. When he was unable to create enough trade deals with other countries, he extended the timeline and sent out letters to world leaders that simply listed rates, prompting a slew of hasty agreements.

Swiss imports will now be taxed at a higher rate — 39% — than the 31% Trump threatened in April, while Liechtenstein saw its rate slashed from 37% to 15%. Countries not listed in the Thursday night order would be charged a baseline 10% tariff.

Trump negotiated trade frameworks over the past few weeks with the EU, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines — allowing the president to claim victories as other nations sought to limit his threat of charging even higher tariff rates. He said on Thursday there were agreements with other countries, but he declined to name them.

Thursday began with a palpable sense of tension

The EU was awaiting a written agreement on its 15% tariff deal. Switzerland and Norway were among the dozens of countries that did not know what their tariff rate would be, while Trump agreed after a Thursday morning phone call to keep Mexico’s tariffs at 25% for a 90-day negotiating period. The president separately on Thursday amended an order to raise Canada’s fentanyl-related tariffs to 35%.

European leaders face blowback for seeming to cave to Trump, even as they insist that this is merely the start of talks and stress the importance of maintaining America’s support of Ukraine’s fight against Russia. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has already indicated that his country can no longer rely on the U.S. as an ally, and Trump declined to talk to him on Thursday.

India, with its 25% tariff announced Wednesday by Trump, may no longer benefit as much from efforts to pivot manufacturing out of China. While the Trump administration has sought to challenge China’s manufacturing dominance, it is separately in extended trade talks with that country, which faces a 30% tariff and is charging a 10% retaliatory rate on the U.S.

Major companies came into the week warning that tariffs would begin to squeeze them financially. Ford Motor Co. said it anticipated a net $2 billion hit to earnings this year from tariffs. French skincare company Yon-Ka is warning of job freezes, scaled-back investment and rising prices.

It’s unclear whether Trump’s new tariffs will survive a legal challenge

Federal judges sounded skeptical Thursday about Trump’s use of a 1977 law to declare the long-standing U.S. trade deficit a national emergency that justifies tariffs on almost every country on Earth.

“You’re asking for an unbounded authority,” Judge Todd Hughes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit told a Justice Department lawyer representing the administration.

The judges didn’t immediately rule, and the case is expected to eventually reach the Supreme Court.

The Trump White House has pointed to the increase in federal revenues as a sign that the tariffs will reduce the budget deficit, with $127 billion in customs and duties collected so far this year — about $70 billion more than last year.

New tariffs threaten to raise inflation rates

There are not yet signs that tariffs will lead to more domestic manufacturing jobs, and the U.S. economy now has 14,000 fewer manufacturing jobs than it did in April.

On Thursday, one crucial measure of inflation, known as the Personal Consumption Expenditures index, showed that prices have climbed 2.6% over the 12 months that ended in June, a sign that inflation may be accelerating as the tariffs flow through the economy.

The prospect of higher inflation from the tariffs has caused the Federal Reserve to hold off on additional cuts to its benchmark rates, a point of frustration for Trump, who on Truth Social, called Fed Chair Jerome Powell a “TOTAL LOSER.”

But ahead of Trump’s tariffs, Powell seemed to suggest that the tariffs had put the U.S. economy and much of the world into a state of unknowns.

“There are many uncertainties left to resolve,” Powell told reporters Wednesday. “So, yes, we are learning more and more. It doesn’t feel like we’re very close to the end of that process. And that’s not for us to judge, but it does — it feels like there’s much more to come.”

__

AP writer Paul Wiseman contributed to this report.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Public Schools are going back to school Monday, and parents are gearing up for back-to-school shopping.

Finance professor Russell Rhoads at Indiana University Kelly School of Business said Thursday that parents are spending less this year on school supplies. That’s due to inflation, and President Donald Trump’s tariffs threatening to drive up traffic. It’s left some parents worried and they’re tightening up their budgets.

Rachel Thomas, a mom of a grader-schooler and a high-schooler, said, “Everything is so expensive, especially if you have more than one kid. Everything sky-rocketed so high.”

Rhoads’ research found back-to-school shopping started early this year, in June. Families loaded up supplies, hoping to score some sales, but the professor said the early shoppers were picky, waiting for better deals, and instead spent less this year despite higher prices.

“People are looking for sales. People are being budget-sensitive. We’ve seen that in the numbers as well. They are starting early, trying to be patient for sales. So if you come across something and you need it for school, I say jump on it as soon as possible.”

Rhoades also recommended buying an item if it’s on sale because there may be shortages of school supplies.

Thomas saw prices tick up. “They are probably up an extra $2 per binder or whatever. I usually spend about $300 on both of them (her kids) for school supplies. It’s probably about $400 just to get them everything they need.”

That’s why Rachel found going to Back to School Night on Thursday night in Shortridge High School with her kids was extremely helpful. The school district welcomed students and supplied them with free backpacks, notebooks, pens, and more.

Shortridge 10th grader Ti’Asia Taylor unboxed her new shoes, a Chromebook, and a backpack that she received at the event. “I think it’s a privilege. I think I should be grateful for it because not a lot of kids get these chances. It’s a privilege.”

Twenty-nine community organizations set up booths at the event. Some donated basic items like feminine hygiene products and clothes.

Shortridge High School Principal Andrea Salmon said, “We try to offset the things that are costing families a lot of money right now. There are so many people in the community who are willing to help us out, and we’re so grateful for that because we want kids to start strong with all the things they need.”

IPS will host back-to-school nights in various schools through Friday. Thomas said it’s a good thing. “Not everyone is working or as fortunate, and they can’t really go out and get everything that they need and spend that kind of money because the economy is hard for everybody.”

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — A fired aide for special needs children has been charged with two low-level battery charges after video captured him punching a nonverbal autistic student on a school bus.

In addition to the video evidence, the bus driver saw Timothy B. Miller, 71, strike the 16-year-old boy on the head multiple times with a closed fist. The boy was restrained in a his seat during the May 2 engagement.

Martinsville Schools Police Department Chief Chris Wright said in court documents that the video shows Miller’s blows appeared to cause pain to the boy, and the child was holding his head once the encounter ended.

Audio indicated “the amount of force used would be considered excessive,” the chief said in the court documents.

The exact injuries to the boy were not spelled out in the court documents. Parents of the student noted increased aggression in their son since Miller had begun working with him, and, once learning of the incident recorded on video, they asked for Miller to be charged with battery.

The investigation also found that Miller had previously said during a discussion with the bus driver, “I’m afraid I’m going to get mad and hurt” the 16-year-old boy.

Miller was charged Monday in Morgan Superior Court 3. He also faces a low-level felony count of intimidation, and a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. He was not in the Morgan County jail on Thursday night, online records showed.

The bus was taking the boy from a disability services and support organization, based on the southeast side of Indianapolis, to his Martinsville home, court documents said.

Police learned about the incident after the bus driver reported it to a Martinsville Schools transportation administrator. Administrators then pulled the video and saw the incident.

The Indiana Department of Child Services has opened an investigation into the incident, the police chief said.

Miller had received training in 2023 and 2025 before he took the job, the police chief’s investigation found.

Miller has retained legal counsel and declined to provide a statement to investigators or participate in an interview with the police.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A Marion County magistrate on Thursday found a 39-year-old Indianapolis man guilty of multiple charges for violently assaulting a woman inside her home in August 2024, according to the prosecutor and online court records.

Aaron Gordy was convicted of aggravated battery; domestic battery resulting in serious bodily Injury; domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon; and domestic battery.

A news release from the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office said Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were called Aug. 28 to Valley Creek Lane after the woman arrived at her mother’s house following a domestic disturbance that seriously injured the woman’s eye.

Officers arrived to find medics treating the woman, who was covered in blood.

The mother told investigators that her daughter arrived with her 2-year-old son after being physically attacked by Gordy, whom she had previously been in a relationship with.

During the investigation, an officer heard the child, who was covered in his mother’s blood, say, “Daddy was hitting mommy.”

Investigators also found that Gordy and the woman had gotten into an argument at her home, during which Gordy struck her multiple times in her right eye with a key.

After the incident, the woman drove herself and her son to her mother’s house for help.

Judge Jeffrey Marchal was scheduled to sentence Gordy on Aug. 19 in Marion Superior Court 31.

Help is available for victims of domestic violence. Below is a list of suggested resources on the Domestic Violence Network website:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788
• National Domestic Violence Hotline en español: 800-799-7233 o texto “START” al 88788
• Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence: 24-hour hotline available at 800-332-7385
• Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking
• La Plaza Indy
• The Julian Center
• Indiana Child Abuse Hotline: 800-800-5556
• National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673

GREENFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — A 24-year-old man on Wednesday was charged in a Hancock County court with 20 felony counts of child exploitation and possession of child pornography, online court records showed.

The Hamilton County Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force had arrested Syed Ayan Tirmizi, of McCordsville, on Tuesday following a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. He’s charged in Hancock Circuit Court with six mid-level felony counts and four mid-level felony counts of child exploitation, and 10 low-level felony counts and of possession of child pornography.

Detectives from the task force served search warrants on Tirmizi’s social media accounts, uncovering evidence of possession of child sexual abuse material.

The task force said in a social media post that Tirmizi was previously arrested in December 2023 for similar charges by the McCordsville Police Department. He was awaiting trial for the 2023 charges when the task force arrested him again.

In the case filed Dec. 22, 2023, he faces low-level felony counts: one charge of performance before a minor that is harmful to minors; and 12 charges of possession of child pornography. His next court appearance in that case has been scheduled for Tuesday.

The latest investigation revealed that Tirmizi was soliciting other users for child sex abuse material through online chat rooms.

Tirmizi was being held Thursday night at the Hancock County jail on a $75,000 bond in the newest case, according to online court and jail records.

The task force, headquartered at the Fishers Police Department, includes detectives from multiple police agencies who investigate on internet crimes against children and child exploitation cases in Hamilton, Hancock, Madison and Tipton counties.

(CNN) — President Donald Trump was joined by professional athletes on Thursday as he signed an executive order that will expand on his council on sports, fitness and nutrition, including by reviving the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools.

The event, which featured golfer Bryson DeChambeau, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker and former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, among others, comes as the US prepares to host the 2025 Ryder Cup, 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics — all of which are major feathers in Trump’s cap for his second term.

The president, who often boasts that he gets to oversee the milestone sporting events, has been heavily invested in making them a success. He has also used his bully pulpit to reshape cultural issues, many of which have been tied directly to sports, including new policies on transgender athletes and threatening the Washington Commanders to change its name back to the “Redskins” or potentially face restrictions on a major stadium deal.

This initiative seems to be an attempt to build on that momentum.

The order formally reestablishes the Presidential Fitness Test, first introduced by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966, creating school-based programs that reward “excellence in physical education” and developing criteria for a Presidential Fitness Award, according to details of the order obtained by CNN.

“From the late 1950s until 2013, graduate scholars all across our country competed against each other in the Presidential Fitness Test, and it was a big deal. This was a wonderful tradition, and we’re bringing it back,” Trump said Thursday.

The test, which will be administered by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., brings back the fitness challenge that permeated public schools and anointed children who received the highest scores with presidential recognition. Former President Barack Obama abandoned the test in 2012 and replaced it with an assessment called the FitnessGram focused on bettering individual health.

“President Trump wants every young American to have the opportunity to emphasize healthy, active lifestyles — creating a culture of strength and excellence for years to come,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN in a statement.

The order, which the White House says addresses “the widespread epidemic of declining health and physical fitness,” instructs the presidential council to partner with professional athletes, sports organizations and influential figures.

Many of those high-profile individuals joined Trump in the White House’s Roosevelt Room to become formal members of the council. All of them have close ties to the president.

DeChambeau, a Trump favorite who currently plays on the LIV Golf League and recently visited the White House where he played golf on the South Lawn, is being named chairman of the council.

Butker met with the president in the Oval Office earlier this year. The kicker set off waves of criticism last year after he said in a controversial commencement speech that a woman’s accomplishments in the home are more valuable than any academic or professional goals and called Pride Month a “deadly sin,” among other things. Butker later defended his address and emphasized his Catholic faith.

Taylor, a New York City sports star during Trump’s golden years in the 1980s and 1990s, has spoken at the president’s campaign rallies.

Other attendees at the Thursday event included Cody Campbell, a former college football player and the head of Texas Tech’s Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) collective who has been a key voice contributing to Trump’s policies on college sports; Paul “Triple H” Levesque, the WWE’s Chief Content Officer and 14-time World Champion who is the public face of a company that has a decades-long relationship with Trump; Annika Sorenstam, a Swedish professional golfer considered one of the most successful female golfers in history; and Stephen Soloway, a New Jersey physician who served on Trump’s sports council during his first term.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Gen Con 2025 has returned to downtown Indianapolis, drawing tens of thousands of gamers to the city for one of the biggest weekends of the year.

• Gen Con returns for 22nd year in Indy

Gen Con 2025 will feature over 590 exhibitors and nearly 30,000 gaming events happening around the clock.

On display in the exhibition hall will be a wide array of games, including Dire Wolf Digital’s popular Clank! Catacombs Underworld, which unveiled a new expansion offering a bold twist on the fan-favorite deck-building game.

“In Clank! Catacombs, you play a thief trying to sneak into a dragon’s lair, steal one of its treasures, and escape before the dragon catches you,” explained Matt Hudson, Dire Wolf’s director of marketing. ‘

Hudson, a seasoned Clank! Catacombs master, added “I think a lot of it has to do with the challenge of besting your friends. Some games, you are fighting over something or competing directly. One of the things that Clank! captures really well is that you are all trying to be the best, but you’re not necessarily doing anything to harm each other.”

In addition to tabletop gaming, the convention includes an anime festival and a block party, offering a variety of activities for attendees and visitors alike.

Hudson says Gen Con is a pilgrimage for board gamers, and if you haven’t been to Gen Con yet, “you kinda need to.”

“Other conventions are great, we go to them, and I go to them as a player and fan, Gen Con is its own thing, and it’s the big dance when it comes to board gaming.”

Clank! Catacombs is currently exclusive to Gen Con, but it is expected to hit store shelves later this year.

—

Gen Con 2025 is currently sold out. Gen Con 2026 was set for Jul 30 – Aug. 2.

We were in Bloomington on Thursday to preview Taste of Bloomington for our WISH You Were Here broadcast. From vibrant local flavors to rich culture and community spirit, Bloomington offers much more than just college town charm.

During our visit, we explored the city’s unique spots, including the hands-on Wonder Lab science museum, the historic Buskirk-Chumlee Theater and the lively Bloomington music scene. We also caught up with IU Athletics as they prepare for an exciting football season and learned about the thriving Bloomington Bicycle Club.

With so much to see and do, Taste of Bloomington promises a weekend filled with great food, music and fun for the whole family. Here’s a look at the highlights from our day in this dynamic city.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has been ruled out for the Fever’s game on Friday against the Dallas Wings.

This will be the sixth straight game Clark has missed due to a right groin injury.

Clark underwent further medical evaluations last week, and the Fever announced there were no additional injuries or damage found.

The Fever also stated there is no timetable for Clark’s return.

Clark injured her right groin in the fourth quarter of the Fever’s win against the Connecticut Sun on July 15.

Friday will be the 15th regular season game that Clark will miss this season. She also missed the Fever’s win in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game, as well as the All-Star Game and Three-Point Contest during All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.

Clark has averaged 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game in 13 games played this season.

Clark has also dealt with a left quad injury and a left groin injury this season.

The Fever are 8-5 with Clark this season and 7-7 without Clark in regular season games. The Fever also beat the Minnesota Lynx without Clark to win the Commissioner’s Cup.

The Fever (15-12) are 6th in the WNBA standings.

Indiana tips off against the Wings on the road at 7:30 p.m.