Former Madison Mayor, and School Resource Officer Pleads Guilty to Attempted Child Exploitation

He will serve 5 years probation along with registering on sex offender registry

Former Madison Mayor Tim Armstrong entered a plea agreement Friday morning in Jefferson Circuit Court pleading guilty on two — counts of attempted child exploitation and official misconduct.

Dearborn Circuit Judge Frank Aaron Negangard took the plea agreement under advisement with sentencing scheduled for March 16.

He was a School Resource Officer and high school baseball coach with Madison Consolidated Schools at the time of the incidents that led to the charges.

The charges stem from incidents with a 12-year-old victim that occurred between April 26 and May 12 of 2022 in which a sexually explicit communication was made by Armstrong.

On the charge of attempted child exploitation, a Level 5 felony, the plea agreement signed by Armstrong would sentenced him to four years incarceration with time suspended to probation. On the charge of official misconduct, a Level 6 felony, the plea agreement would sentence him to one year incarceration with all time suspended to probation. The plea agreement provides for both counts to run consecutive for an overall sentence of five years with all time suspended to probation.

By pleading guilty to child exploitation, Armstrong will be required to register on the sexual offender registry for a period of 10 years.

Ripley County Prosecuting Attorney Rick Hertel took over prosecution of the case late last year after the original prosecutor, Jeff Chalfant of Jackson County, resigned to move away from the area.

Victim's statements will occur at the sentencing hearing in March.

Armstrong originally faced 11 counts including more serious Child Seduction, Promotion of Child Sexual Trafficking, Vicarious Sexual Gratification and Child Solicitation charges only to plead guilty to the exploitation and official misconduct charges. Hertel said in his discussions with the victim’s father, he would have liked Armstrong to have served prison time but the case came down to the evidence and “what’s admissible and what’s not admissible.”

He served as Mayor of Madison from Jan. 1, 2008 through Dec. 31, 2011.