JOHNSON COUNTY — Johnson County Coroner Michael Dean Pruitt is facing allegations that he provided alcohol and offered cannabis gummies to a teenage girl, according to court documents filed in Johnson Superior Court.
The documents, filed as part of a protective order case on Aug. 20, detail a series of alleged incidents between Pruitt and a 17-year-old girl.
No criminal charges have been filed against Johnson County coroner Mike Pruitt, but an investigation is ongoing into text messages and interactions between Pruitt and a 17-year-old girl.
"These allegations really are serious and ought to be taken seriously," said Civil Attorney Rich Waples.
Court documents state Pruitt agreed to allow the 17-year-old to use some of his pigs to show in the Johnson County and Indiana state fairs.
The teenager started caring for the pigs at her family farm to prepare them for the fairs.
In multiple text messages, she told him she would rather work on the pigs alone. Pruitt allegedly asked to see her, talk, and reached out to the teen's mother asking for her.
On numerous occasions, the teen's mother told the coroner to stop texting and reaching out to her daughter.
Pruitt violated those requests even after he said he would stop.
At one point, records state Pruitt expressed harmful thoughts if the teen was taken from him.
According to the court records, Pruitt took the teenager and another minor to a pig show in Springfield, Illinois, in June. Court documents state Pruitt sent a text asking what "kind" she wanted, to which the teen responded "coors light."
"Later that day, he sent [the teen] another text: 'Put some of your Coors Light beers in your plastic laundry bag in your closet,'" the documents state. "Later, during this time frame, he videotaped [the teen] and the minor girl when they were intoxicated."
The documents also show Pruitt allegedly offered cannabis gummies to the teen. When she declined, saying she had "greened out" with them before, Pruitt reportedly sent "tips on how to avoid greening out when consuming cannabis gummies," followed by a text: "You gotta get back on the horse sometime."
On other occasions, court records show Pruitt allegedly sent texts saying "There's beer in the pool house if you need road beers" and "I left you a couple beers in the cooler."
The documents say Pruitt had been sending the teen $50 per week through Venmo since September 2024. When the teen's mother discovered this and told him to stop, the payments allegedly continued.
According to the court filings, the teen repeatedly told Pruitt she felt "smothered" and wanted space. The documents state Pruitt used the Life 360 app to track the teen's location and would show up at places where he knew she would be.
The teen's mother eventually confronted Pruitt in July, telling him there could be no further contact with her daughter. In a phone conversation on July 20, court documents state, "Respondent admitted that he purchased alcohol for [the teen]."
Despite being told to stay away, the documents allege Pruitt continued attempting contact, including following the family to a photography session at the Indiana State Fair and calling the teen using a different phone number in August.
The teen's mother wrote in an Aug. 11 email to Pruitt: "Over the past several months, there have been repeated incidents and behaviors that are completely inappropriate for a 60-year-old man toward a 17-year-old girl."
The final straw for the teen's family came on August 16 at the Indiana State Fair.
The petition for the protective order listed physical harm, stalking, intimidation and more.
Pruitt serves as Johnson County Coroner and was previously with the Bargersville Fire Department, though the documents indicate he was placed on leave from the fire department by June 3.
According to the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, the case was handed over to the Indiana State Police for investigation.
On September 2, 2024, after receiving a sworn statement connected to the matter, the Sheriff’s Office immediately recognized a conflict of interest. To ensure transparency and maintain public confidence, the case was referred to the Indiana State Police for investigation. Our office will take no further role in this matter.
"The county coroner is a really important position in Indiana. It's the top law enforcement office in the county. It's the only officer that can arrest the sheriff; that's how high they are. They can't even be removed by the Governor," said Waples.
Pruitt's attorney said it is not appropriate to comment at this time.
The teen's family attorney tells WRTV:
At this stage, the family just wanting to provide a statement and does not want me to participate in any interviews. Here is the statement on behalf of the family:
On behalf of the victim of the protective order, we would like to respond to the reporting regarding this matter. The family’s primary concern is the safety and well-being of the victim, who has endured significant distress as a result of the circumstances leading to the issuance of the protective order. Although the actions of the individual in question did not involve any sexual contact or sexual actions with the victim, such actions were nevertheless highly inappropriate and deeply concerning. We kindly request that the media and the public respect the victim’s privacy during this difficult time. The legal proceedings are ongoing, and we believe it is vital to allow the judicial process to unfold without undue interference or speculation. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in maintaining sensitivity towards this matter.
ISP confirms its investigation is connected to a Johnson County official.
The Johnson County Prosecutor's Office told WRTV they have no comment pending the results of the ISP investigation.
