Batesville Mayor Arrested For Sex With Male Prostitute

UPDATED: An Indiana State Police investigation has resulted in charges against Batesville Mayor Richard Fledderman (D) and a male prostitute with whom he paid to have sex. The 60-year old mayor, who is married to a Batesville elementary school teacher, allegedly paid to have sex with 42-year old Randy Wigle-Stevens back in June.

Wigle-Stevens allegedly threatened to make his sexual encounter with the mayor public unless he paid him more money. He also failed to disclose his HIV-positive status to Fledderman according to an ISP press release.

Mayor Fledderman faces one count of patronizing a prostitute, a misdemeanor offense. Wigle-Stevens, an Indianapolis resident, faces one felony charge for failure to disclose his communicable disease status and two misdemeanor counts for prostitution and intimidation. Warrants for both men's arrest were issued by Ripley County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Sharp. Fledderman failed to win this year's Democratic municipal primary election for re-election to a fourth term.

A Fox 59 News report provides additional details about the allegations surrounding the charges against both men. Police first learned of an encounter between Wigle-Stevens and Fledderman when Fledderman told a state police officer at Methodist Hospital that he had been assaulted by Fledderman in June. Wigle-Stevens claimed he had gone to Fledderman's home to provide a massage to him after Fledderman responded to his ad for massage services. Fledderman allegedly paid $170 for the massage but later insisted on sex. Wigle-Stevens claims Fledderman formed him to perform a sex act on him against his will. He told police he saved a paper towel he used to clean himself up afterwards with Fledderman's DNA on it. Wigle-Stevens called Fledderman days later and allegedly requested he pay him an additional $250. Fledderman met him in the Greensburg Staples parking lot and paid him the additional money.

Fledderman's account differs from Wigle-Stevens. He claims he paid Wigle-Stevens $170 for the massage, and that the two engaged in consensual sex following the massage. Fledderman says Wigle-Stevens later called him demanding $500 and said he had saved his DNA to prove sex had occurred between them. Fledderman says he met up with him and paid $270 to him, and Wigle-Stevens turned a prescription bottle over to him that supposedly contained his DNA, which he later discarded.