LA PORTE COUNTY, Ind. -- Court documents from La Porte County reveal 23-year-old Michael Landess has been arrested and charged after allegedly sending hundreds of text messages to a group chat of several students enrolled at South Central School Corporation.

Landess is charged with Promotion of Child Sexual Trafficking, a Level 3 Felony, and Child Solicitation, a Level 5 Felony.

Landess pleaded not guilty on Dec. 19.

His next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 2, 2026, with a preliminary jury trial set for June 8, 2026.

According to the probable cause affidavit in the case, on Oct. 22, a report was made by the South Central School Corporation concerning inappropriate text messages received by six of their students, ages 12 to 13.

Documents state the group had been part of a group chat when on Oct. 21, messages from an unknown subject began asking for nude photos of themselves.

Authorities say the number being used had previously been used by another student who'd been in the group but had since gotten a new phone number.

The number requesting the nude images was found to belong to an app called TextNow.

A subsequent search warrant served to TextNow revealed the number was most recently tied to Landess. Records show Landess was issued the number on Sept. 17.

TextNow's records also showed the messages in question had been sent from Landess' cell phone.

Court documents states at one point the TextNow number messaged the group, " You keep adding me to your group so show me your nudes that u keep adding me."

When interviewed by authorities, Landess denied asking the minors for nude images. Landess implied he was being set up by another person.

The students in the chat had already informed Landess they were underage when he continued sending a plethora of messages requesting sexual images, according to case documents.