A high school teacher in Indiana was arrested after he was accused of having disturbing interactions with a child.
Michael J. Gilbert, a social studies teacher at Twin Lakes High School in Monticello, Indiana, was taken into custody on Monday, November 9, after he allegedly committed crimes against a child, according to WXIN.
Authorities first learned of the allegations against Gilbert, 47, when Indiana State Police’s Lafayette Post received a call from a detective working on a case in Idaho. A juvenile reported to school officials that a man, who has since been identified as Gilbert, allegedly acted inappropriately during online exchanges with them.
After speaking to the victim several times, police learned that the minor disclosed their age to Gilbert in 2024. However, Gilbert continued to speak to the victim even after it was revealed they were underage.
“Would you masturbate with a hs teacher?” Gilbert allegedly asked in one disturbing message, according to court records viewed by the outlet. “You’re going to mother me and our child,” another read.
Gilbert and the victim continued to exchange messages into 2026, and their communications moved to video calls in which Gilbert allegedly made the victim expose their body and directed them to pose in certain positions.
Records claim that the teacher reportedly told the victim to answer a video call in April 2026 while he was on a break at work. Gilbert then allegedly exposed his genitals and masturbated while he appeared to be in a restroom stall at the school.
The victim told police that they had a screenshot of the video’s background, and they gave it to authorities amid the investigation. After authorities watched the video, they confirmed that the background appeared similar to the one at Twin Lakes High School.
Following his arrest, Gilbert has been charged with promotion of child sexual trafficking, child exploitation, possession of CSAM, performance before a minor that is harmful to minors and activity related to obscene performance.
Twin Lakes School Corporation district officials said in a statement that the White County Prosecutor’s Office notified the district about Gilbert’s preliminary charges, and that the “charges filed to date do not identify any Twin Lakes student as an alleged victim.”
Gilbert was previously placed on administrative leave earlier this year after the district was notified that he was under investigation “due to alleged sexual misconduct with a minor in another state.”
“Although no details could be shared with the School Corporation at that time because it was an active law enforcement investigation, the School Corporation still took pre-emptive action to remove Gilbert from the School Corporation by placing him on administrative leave until further information could be provided by law enforcement,” the district said in the statement.
It’s not currently clear if Gilbert has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest.
Parents, teachers, and guardians interested in learning more about protecting children from exploitation can find useful tools and information at Know2Protect.
