1404: David Finkel

David Finkel was the Vice-President of the Shelbyville, Indiana, School Board and a former Republican primary candidate for mayor in 2023. He stepped down from the school board after he was arrested in June 2025 and charged with possession of child sexual abuse material and sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to the U.S. Marshals, Finkel posed as a 27-year-old woman and chatted with teens online, exchanging explicit photos. The mother of one of the teens he communicated with found explicit photos and text on her child’s phone and went to law enforcement with her suspicions in 2024.

They identified two children who were texting with Finkel and traced the activity to his home. When they carried out their search they found child sexual abuse material on his phone. During his interview, Finkel reportedly said, “What people do in fantasy is different than what people do in real life.” The criminal complaint is down below the news articles. His case number for the Indiana Southern District Court is 1:2025mj00588.

• FOX 49: Sources: FBI agents served warrant at home of Strand Theatre director as part of child porn investigation
• Local 12: Indiana man in his 60s allegedly posed as woman, engaged in explicit chats with minors
• WTHR: Child porn charges for former Shelbyville school board member
• Shelby County Post: Timeline revealed for case that led to Finkel’s arrest