BLOOMINGTON — A now-former probationary Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy is in jail facing multiple criminal charges, including sexual battery, after a brief investigation by Indiana State Police.
ISP arrested Jeffery Freeman Jr., 28, on Friday. He was booked into the Monroe County jail just after 3:30 p.m. on charges of:
- Sexual Battery, a Level 4 Felony
- Strangulation, a Level 6 Felony
- Official Misconduct, a Level 6 Felony
- Obstruction of Justice, a Level 6 Felony
He has since been transferred to the Morgan County Jail, ISP said in a release.
According to state police, a woman made a report to the Columbus Police Department late Tuesday night regarding alleged sexual battery.
Indiana State Police detectives interviewed the victim on Thursday and notified Monroe County Sheriff Ruben Marté of the investigation.
The actions allegedly happened while the deputy was on duty on Wednesday, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office sent earlier Friday.
An internal department review launched Thursday found the deputy violated an additional department policy with another woman and he was put on administrative leave without pay.
Sheriff Marté terminated Freeman Friday.
He was appointed to the department on March 10, the release said.
According to state police, Freeman was employed as a corrections officer at the Monroe County Jail from January to March 2024, and was previously a merit deputy for the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office from 2016 to 2020.
More informational will be made available when court documents are filed in the case.
This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.
