‘I’m built like SpongeBob’: Indiana man allegedly tried to meet up with fake 13-year-old girl for sex

(WXIN/WTTV) — A central Indiana man has been arrested after police say he chatted online with someone he thought was a 13-year-old, trying to meet up with the fake girl for sex and comparing himself to SpongeBob while messaging her.

James A. Raber, a 63-year-old from Rush County, was charged last week in Randolph County Court with attempted child molesting and child solicitation. The charges reportedly stem from conversations Raber had online with a sheriff’s deputy who was posing as a 13-year-old girl.

Court documents detail how Raber began messaging the fictional “Steph” on May 8 over Facebook Messenger. The fake profile told Raber she was a 13-year-old girl planning on running away from home, but that did not stop the 63-year-old from turning the conversation sexual.

Chat logs show Raber referred to the fake child as “my sexy girl” and repeatedly asked her if she had ever had sex or drank alcohol before. Police say Raber eventually asked if he could meet up with the young girl so that they could have sex, describing his body to her in the process.

“Now I’m a very big tall guy, 6’4″, 295lbs. I’m built like SpongeBob,” Raber allegedly wrote. “So if you ever had a fantasy about f***ing or s***ing SpongeBob, that’s me.”

The fake profile soon arranged a meeting between Raber and the fictional Steph, planning to meet up on May 29 at a Village Pantry in Farmland. Raber allegedly told the girl he would drive her to a bus station in Indianapolis, but that she would have to perform sex acts on him first.

Around 2 p.m. last Thursday, Raber allegedly messaged the fake account that he was parked at a bar in Farmland and waiting for the 13-year-old girl to respond. He reportedly said he would pick her up at the Village Pantry and told her not to come to the bar because they have cameras.

Just before 3 p.m., the fake account messaged Raber and said that she was ready to be picked up at the Village Pantry. Officers from various local agencies then saw Raber walk out of the bar and immediately drive to the meeting place. There, he was detained without incident.

Raber has since been booked into the Randolph County Jail and officially charged in Randolph Circuit Court. An initial hearing in his case is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in front of Judge Jay Toney.

Online court records show Raber has an extensive criminal history in Indiana that mostly includes traffic violations. He has been convicted of driving while intoxicated at least three times since 2004.