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KOKOMO, Ind. — Howard County prosecutors have dismissed a criminal charge against former teacher Charles Jansen.
As WRTV Investigates reported in June 2025, Jansen was criminally charged with Vicarious Sexual Gratification with a child under 14 years of age, a Level 4 felony.
Howard County prosecutors alleged Jansen directed a child to urinate into a cup to satisfy his “sexual desires.”
The names are redacted in court documents, but Brok Westfall, of Kokomo, says the alleged victim is his son.
The felony charge against Jansen was pending for more than a year until July 18, 2025, when prosecutors filed to dismiss the case.
“It’s not what I wanted,” said Brok Westfall. “I’m just shocked. It sucks. It’s kind of saddening."
WRTV Investigates looked into what happened.
Last summer, Jansen’s attorneys filed a motion to suppress evidence in the case, arguing a June 20, 2024, search of Jansen’s home was unconstitutional and that the state’s probable cause affidavit consisted of “stale” information.
“There is no probable cause alleging a crime or a connection to the residence being searched; the information in the search warrant is improper and misleading (at best); the information in the Affidavit was more than 12 months old (when not considering the information from over a decade prior), and the terms of the search warrant were vague,” Jansen’s attorneys argued in its motion.
Court documents show the search warrant for Jansen’s Kokomo home included things like cellular devices, photographs, journal/diary entries, labeled liquid containers and clothing items.
On July 15, 2025, Howard County Judge Matthew Elkin granted Jansen’s motion to suppress the evidence, calling it “fruit of the poisonous tree.”
Days later, on July 18, prosecutors dismissed the criminal charge, saying without the evidence, they don’t have a “reasonable likelihood of conviction.”
Howard County prosecutor Mark McCann also wrote that he was concerned about the emotional and psychological toll on the alleged child victim.
“The State believes that continuing litigation at this time is not in the best interests of the minor,” read McCann's motion, which was granted by the judge on July 21.
Shaunestte Terrell is the attorney for Brok Westfall and his son. She’s also a former sex crimes prosecutor.
“It’s disappointing what happened,” said Terrell. “Anyone who has been through the criminal justice system knows that it’s horrible and it’s really, really hard on victims of crimes, especially of this nature. They decided it was not in the best interest of their child to go forward."
Terrell said it’s common for defense attorneys to file motions to suppress evidence.
“That happens in lots of cases,” said Terrell. “I think it’s less common for them to be granted.”
Prosecutors dismissed the charge without prejudice, which means they can refile the charges if they choose to.
However, Terrell said they can’t use the evidence obtained from Jansen’s home during the June 2024 search warrant.
Terrell and Westfall are looking at other options, including the possibility of a civil lawsuit.
“Obviously, we wanted justice, but we just have to have faith that something else will be done,” said Westfall.
WRTV Investigates contacted Jansen’s attorney Laura O’Donnell.
“We agree with the Court’s ruling on our Motion to Suppress,” said O’Donnell. “Beyond that, I don’t believe we have any further comment on the matter."
Jansen had faced up to 12 years in prison.
Westfall said in 2024 that he too was a victim of Jansen.
“There’s a lot of guilt and shame and a lot of embarrassment,” said Westfall.
Charles Jansen was not charged with anything related to Brok Westfall because the statute of limitations has expired, said Terrell.
Brok Westfall’s allegations against Jansen are included in the prosecutor’s charging documents, which say in April 2023, Westfall went to the Indiana State Police Peru Post to report that in 2006-2008, when he was 16-18-years-old, Jansen groomed him and directed him to perform sexually related acts for money.
"It slowly progressed into 'Show me shoe pics, feet pics, and selfies,' and then progressed into 'I've got a bottle here, why don't you urinate in it? Why don't you chew my food and spit it out and make me eat it,'" Westfall told WRTV.
At the time, Jansen was a teacher at Taylor High School and Westfall was a student.
Westfall considered Jansen a friend.
"I just felt kind of trapped,” said Westfall. “I was very uncomfortable with it, but I didn’t want to have to disclose why I stopped hanging out with him.”
Westfall said it wasn’t until he had issues in his marriage, which ended in divorce, that he sought counseling and reported Jansen to the Indiana State Police.
As a result, his son received a forensic interview and the case was sent to the prosecutor.
Court documents say another student reported Jansen’s behavior to the school district in 2011.
Jansen resigned from his teaching position on September 14, 2011.
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Jansen went on to work for St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Kokomo, records show.
According to a post on the City of Kokomo’s website praising Jansen in 2022, it said Jansen also worked as associate director of parish life and communications at St. Patrick Catholic Church.
