Tell City police arrest man on sex-crime, drug-dealing allegations

Tell City police have arrested a man on allegations involving sex crimes and drug dealing, a case that puts both victim safety and narcotics enforcement back in the spotlight in Perry County.

The arrest comes as Tell City investigators continue to handle cases that combine some of the county’s most serious charges. In June 2023, detectives said they were investigating an alleged sexual assault of a juvenile resident when they developed probable cause to arrest 33-year-old Timothy Esarey. He was booked into the Perry County Detention Center on June 8, 2023, after facing attempted child molestation and child solicitation charges.

Tell City detectives have also handled other sex-crime cases that moved through the courts on warrants. In 2021, Indiana State Police said Tell City Police detectives finished an investigation into rape and sexual misconduct with a minor, leading to an arrest on a warrant. That earlier case showed how quickly a local investigation can turn into a felony prosecution when officers believe they have enough evidence to move forward.

Drug cases have been just as visible. In 2017, Tell City police arrested three people on multiple drug-related offenses, including dealing meth, after an investigation into illegal drug distribution in the city. More recently, in May 2026, a Tell City couple was arrested for dealing methamphetamine and child neglect after Indiana State Police troopers became involved.

Those cases matter in a place like Perry County because they do not stay limited to one offense or one agency. A sex-crime investigation can bring in detectives, prosecutors and jail staff quickly, while a dealing case can lead to wider questions about supply, buyers, witnesses and whether other victims are involved. When the charges overlap, local law enforcement often has to build the case on several tracks at once.

For Tell City residents, the immediate question is how this newest arrest will move through the system. Past cases have gone straight into the Perry County Detention Center and then into court on felony charges, and similar proceedings are likely to follow here as the case develops.