Police: Mooresville Man Used Instagram to Solicit 14-Year-Old Decoy
BOONE COUNTY, Ind. — Court documents say the only thing that stopped a Mooresville man from meeting up to have sex with a 14-year-old girl he met on Instagram was a fear that she might’ve been a police decoy. Turns out, the “teen girl” was indeed a local detective.
Joshua Hatter, 32, was arrested and charged last month in Boone County with two counts of felony child solicitation. Last week, he was released from jail after paying a $2,000 cash bond.
Decoy accounts and ‘To Catch a Predator’
Police first became aware of Hatter on June 3 after his “madhatteryo” Instagram account followed a 14-year-old high schooler and messaged her account. Except the girl wasn’t real and was instead a decoy set up by the Lebanon Police Department to catch potential child predators.
Court documents detail how Hatter expressed disappointment when the decoy account clarified her alleged age, stating “I’m probably double your age” and “I was hoping 18 lol.” He reportedly said they could continue talking “as long as it isn’t sexual.”
Police say Hatter continued to message the decoy account and said that they had to “remain cordial” because he “can’t afford any more trouble in his life.” When the decoy account said he was cute, he reportedly said that she was trouble and making things awkward.
“I’m no trouble,” detectives operating the decoy account responded.
“Haha yeah, until Chris Hansen pops out of the closet,” Hatter said, referencing the TV show To Catch a Predator.
Conversations turn sexual
Despite this, police say Hatter did eventually turn the conversations into sexual discussions. Examples include asking the decoy for “cute beach pics” and asking her to call him “daddy” instead of “mister.”
“Mister makes you sound super young lol,” he wrote. “Daddy sounds better anyways.”
Hatter would reportedly come up with pet names for the “girl,” calling her a “sexy little freak” and “adorable.” Court documents detail discussions about Hatter’s desire to take the girl’s virginity and have her perform sexual acts on him.
“You’re a cute girl,” he is quoted as saying. “But 10 years in prison isn’t worth anything. Whatever you do, don’t tell anyone about us. That’s the number one way to get us both in trouble.”
Police say Hatter was constantly paranoid when talking with the decoy account, constantly giving similar reminders not to tell anyone. He also showed concern that he was talking to a fake girl, which later turned out to be true.
‘As long as you aren’t the police’
Court documents provide at least three examples of times when Hatter raised the possibility that the “girl” was a potential sting operation. When the fake account first asked Hatter if he was attracted to her photos, he reportedly replied: “As long as you aren’t the police.”
When he first asked to be called “daddy,” Hatter reportedly followed up by saying: “Also, don’t forget. I’m still scared this is a setup and you’re the police.”
After providing the decoy with a list of sexual acts he would like to do to her, Hatter is quoted as saying: “As long as you’re real. We are perfect.” The decoy account reportedly responded, “U wanna do all those things but u think I’m a cop so ur scared to actually do it with me?”
Then, over a week later, on June 12, Hatter reportedly messaged the account and said: “Hey, I don’t want any part of this. I’m not interested.” The 32-year-old then reportedly blocked the decoy account on both Instagram and Discord, where they had continued their chats.
Investigation, arrest
After contact was cut off by Hatter, detectives used photos he had sent to the decoy account to determine his identity. By running photos of his vehicles that he had sent through the BMV database, he was reportedly identified as Hatter.
A probable cause affidavit was submitted on June 24 asking for Hatter’s arrest. Official charges were filed the same day in Boone Circuit Court and an arrest warrant was issued.
Online jail records show he has since been arrested in Boone County. He was later released from jail after posting a $2,000 bond. A jury trial is now scheduled to begin on Oct. 13, 2026, in front of Judge Lori Schein.
Hatter is charged with two counts of child solicitation as a Level 5 felony. If convicted of both counts, he could face up to 12 years in prison.
Online court records show Hatter has an extensive criminal history in Indiana that includes previous convictions for cocaine possession, sexual misconduct with a minor, narcotics possession, operating while intoxicated and marijuana possession.
Task force efforts
The arrest of Hatter comes as part of an effort by the Boone County Child Abuse and Sexual Exploitation task force, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and several law enforcement agencies.
Officials have previously said the operation helps identify individuals who allegedly used digital platforms to “target minors for criminal activity.”
At the end of June, the task force announced the arrests of seven different suspects. Then, on July 13, they announced the arrests of Hatter, Samuel Grosvenor and Spencer Hitchcock.
Police: Mooresville Man Used Instagram to Solicit 14-Year-Old Decoy was originally published on wibc.com
