Ciske
A Richmond man who told investigators he is a retired FBI analyst has been accused of driving two hours to Columbus to have sexual contact with whom he believed was a 15-year-old boy, according to prosecutors and court records.
Matthew Bruce Ciske, 48, of Richmond was recently arrested during a multi-agency sting operation targeting online child sex offenders, the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office announced this week. He was charged with child solicitation and sexual misconduct with a minor, Level 4 felonies, according to court records.
Ciske was one of five men from three states who were arrested during the sting operation, which was led by the Indiana Crimes Against Children Task Force, officials said. The operation spanned multiple days and involved federal, state and local law enforcement agencies that worked undercover to intercept predators seeking to have sexual conduct with minors.
The other suspects who were arrested during the operation and charged with felonies were Andrew Rodger Donat, 59, of Indianapolis; Nathan Todd Jones, 49, of Thorntown, Ind.; David Todd Hahn, 48, of Mt. Washington, Ky.; and Luis Ernesto Nuñez Machuca, 37, of Streamwood, Ill., officials said.
Bartholomew County Deputy Prosecutor Jay Frederick told The Republic that Ciske told investigators that he is a former FBI analyst. A probable cause affidavit alleges that, during the investigation, Ciske said “he worked for the FBI for 29 years before retiring.”
Chris Bavender, spokeswoman for the FBI Indianapolis Field Office, declined to confirm whether Ciske had been employed by the agency.
“We do not verify employment status, and thus we cannot comment on the current or previous employment of any individual,” Bavender told The Republic.
At 48 years old, Ciske would have been about 19 when he began his alleged FBI career, assuming that his account of working for the agency is accurate and he retired within the past year.
Ciske also told investigators that he is currently in school to become a chaplain with the Quaker church.
“These five individuals traveled well over 400 miles total, believing they were going to have sexual contact with minors in Columbus,” Bartholomew County Sheriff Chris Lane said in a statement following the arrests. “We will continue to work with fellow law enforcement agencies everywhere to capture offenders against children and hold them accountable.”
The Bartholomew County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office, Columbus Police Department and Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office were among the agencies involved in the sting operation.
All five of the cases were pending in court as of Friday.
Ciske, Hahn and Donat’s cases are in Bartholomew Circuit Court, while Nuñez Machuca’s case is before Bartholomew Superior Court 1. Jones’ case is in Clinton Superior Court in Frankfort.
Ciske waived his initial hearing and has pleaded not guilty, and a change of plea hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 16, according to court records. Initial hearings for Hahn and Donat have been scheduled for Sept. 11.
Nuñez Machuca’s initial hearing was scheduled for Friday, but no updates were available by press time.
Jones appeared for his initial hearing on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty. A jury trial has been scheduled for Jan. 13. Besides a felony child solicitation charge, Jones is facing a felony charge of possession of methamphetamine, as well as misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.
“We must be proactive in our efforts to prevent child sex offenders from harming our children,” CPD Chief Steve Norman said in a statement. “Our continued investment into investigating, educating, and preventing child sex crimes will make Columbus safer and preserve our community as a great place to raise a family.”
