WARSAW — A Silver Lake man was sentenced in Kosciusko Superior Court I Monday, Nov.4, following an incident in January that led to the discovery of disturbing information on his phone. 

Austin Michael Sherburne, 18, 205 E. Sycamore St., Silver Lake, was found guilty but mentally ill in court. The charges he pleaded guilty to included vicarious sexual gratification, a level 6 felony; and stolen valor, a class A misdemeanor. 

According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Jan. 30, an employee at Fellowship Missions, Warsaw, contacted Warsaw Police and said he had learned Sherburne had used his cell phone to organize a drug deal.

When Sherburne was questioned by police, he admitted that he attempted to arrange a drug deal. Sherburne gave officers permission to look through his phone. Officers observed a contact listed as “Forever my wife” in the phone. When Sherburne was asked about this, he told officers that “Forever my wife” is his girlfriend.

As officers scrolled through text messages between Sherburne and the girl he identified as his girlfriend, they found text messages where the girl said she is 14 years old. Sherburne then reportedly asked the girl, via text, if she wanted to “hook-up.” The girl responded in the affirmative and told Sherburne where she lived.

Officers discovered that Sherburne told the girl he was in the Army Reserves 11 Bravo Infantry. He reportedly has a military uniform in his possession. Sherburne admitted he knew the girl was 14 years of age and admitted to sending a video to her that showed him performing acts on himself in an attempt to persuade the girl to send him photographs of herself.

Judge James Heuer sentenced Sherburne to two years in jail but ordered that the sentence be suspended except for time already served. Sherburne was given 279 days of jail time credit. 

The remaining portion of that sentence is to be served on formal probation. Sherburne was ordered to register with the Indiana Sex Offender Registry and to comply with rules of probation.