PERU, IN — This from fox59.com: A twice-convicted child sex offender living in Miami County has once again been arrested while out of prison on probation, this time accused of trying to solicit a decoy pretending to be a 14-year-old girl.
Robert W.J. Holtzlander, 35, of Peru, was charged this week with felony child solicitation and failure to register as a sex offender. He is now being held in the Miami County Jail while he awaits an initial hearing scheduled for today, Thursday, April 23, 2026.
Holtzlander was out of prison on probation when he was arrested. He has been convicted of child sex crimes twice before in Indiana:
- A June 2017 conviction for Child Exploitation in Wabash County
- An Oct. 2020 conviction for Child Solicitation and child sex abuse material possession in Grant County
The 35-year-old was released from prison on May 29, 2025, and placed on probation in Grant County. He was then transferred to Miami County probation on June 18, 2025, and was expected to remain on probation until May 2027.
However, in late February, Indiana State Police troopers posing online as a 14-year-old girl were contacted by a man from Miami County. Investigators later identified the man as Holtzlander.
The suspect reportedly reached out to the 14-year-old decoy on the “Hush” app and began asking for photos of the child even after “she” clarified her age. Holtzlander sent photos of himself in return, which investigators quickly matched to a picture on the sex offender registry.
Holtzlander allegedly began having lewd conversations with the decoy, asking if “she” had any sexual experiences or desires. He also reportedly said that he would “keep it a secret” if the two of them ever had sex.
“When you can send me a video of what you do when you get going, babe,” Holtzlander reportedly said. “I wanna see you playing, baby.”
Police served a search warrant on March 24 at Holtzlander’s home in Peru, seizing a cellphone and computer. When asked if the phone was his, the suspect reportedly requested a lawyer. The seized phone reportedly had conversations with the decoy saved on the TextNow app, as well as photos that the decoy sent of “herself.”
Holtzlander was officially charged on April 20 in Miami Circuit Court. He now faces one count of child solicitation as a Level 4 felony and six counts of failure to register as a sex offender, a Level 6 felony.
If convicted of his Level 4 felony charge, Holtzlander could face up to 12 years in prison.
