Whitestown man sentenced to 123 years in prison after pleading guilty to child molestation

BOONE COUNTY, Ind. — A Whitestown man was sentenced to more than 100 years in prison on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to multiple child sex crimes.

According to a news release from the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office, 54-year-old John Peterson pleaded guilty to several criminal counts in mid-February, leading to a sentence of 123 years in the Indiana Department of Correction. Peterson was first arrested in June 2022.

The counts included:

• Four counts of child molesting, each a Level 1 felony
• One count of child molesting, a Level 4 felony
• One count of child exploitation, a Level 4 felony
• One count of possession of child pornography, a Level 5 felony
• One count of neglect of a dependent, a Level 6 felony

After posting bond in February, Peterson failed to contact Boone County Community Corrections, a requirement for the bond. This caused Peterson’s bond to be revoked and an additional arrest warrant. Peterson was eventually located and taken to the Boone County Jail.

According to court documents, Peterson raped a juvenile multiple times. Peterson also filmed and took photos of sexual interactions with juveniles.

“Our office extends its profound gratitude for the extraordinary strength and courage exhibited by the victim in this matter,” Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood said in the release. “Her bravery empowered our team to relentlessly pursue justice and ensure the defendant was held accountable, guaranteeing that he will never be in a position to harm anyone again. We are extremely thankful that his sentence ensures that he will spend the rest of his days on this earth in prison.”