Ex-Valparaiso crossing guard faces child solicitation charges in Gary

VALPARAISO, Ind. (WISH) — A former Valparaiso crossing guard was arrested Tuesday and preliminarily charged with three counts of child solicitation, Valparaiso Police Department said in a social media post.

The social media post said James Jovanovic, who worked as a civilian part-time employee for the Valparaiso Police Department, was taken into custody following an investigation into an incident that happened March 3 in Gary.

Online court records on Tuesday night did not show a case filed for Jovanovic. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office app said the 75-year-old man remained jailed Tuesday night after he was booked in around 11:15 a.m. A jail booking photo had not been posted on the app by early Tuesday night.

The Valparaiso Police Department learned of the allegations on March 4 and placed Jovanovic on unpaid administrative leave. He resigned from his position the next day. The police post said Valparaiso Community Schools was also notified of the investigation and the information pertaining to the allegations.

Jovanovic served as a crossing guard during two separate periods. His first term of employment lasted from Sept. 12, 2018, to Feb. 5, 2022. He returned to the position on Aug. 11, 2023 and remained on staff until his recent resignation.

According to the Valparaiso Police Department, Jovanovic passed a required background check as a condition of his employment.