The investigation into an Indianapolis teacher accused of possessing child sex abuse material began after a series of unusual cryptocurrency transactions, according to court documents filed in the case.
Julian Wachner, 55, was arrested on one count of possession of child pornography on Aug. 20, 2025. At the time of his arrest, he taught fourth grade at Invent Learning Hub, a charter school on the city’s southeast side. The school sent a statement to parents acknowledging Wachner’s arrest, noting that his “inappropriate behavior” occurred “outside the school day and off school premises.”
More: Indy 4th grade teacher, once-acclaimed composer, arrested on child porn accusation
Police say Wachner sent about $840 in cryptocurrency to digital wallets associated with a dark web child sex abuse site between August 2024 and February 2025.
Three separate transactions were brought to the attention of law enforcement by the online exchange Wachner used to buy and sell cryptocurrency. The transfers were flagged as part of a larger probe into the website, which court documents chracterized as the darknet’s largest purveyor of child sex abuse material.
At the time of publication, it’s unclear if anyone else has been charged as a result of the investigation.
After his arrest, Wachner told police that he’d exchanged cryptocurrency for credits on the website, which he then used to make hundreds of purchases.
“He further stated that, over the course of several years, he had downloaded and subsequently deleted (child sex abuse material) that he had obtained from the Dark Web,” detectives wrote.
While serving a search warrant for Wachner’s home, police found a black bag inside the primary bedroom’s closet. The bag contained a “substantial quantity” of apparent cocaine and a laptop.
When detectives entered Wachner’s login credentials for the laptop, a video of child sex abuse was displayed in full screen. Dozens more files appeared to have been recently accessed, and a forensic examination of the laptop is ongoing.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will make final charging decisions.
Before becoming a teacher in Indianapolis, Wachner was a critically acclaimed classical music conductor. He previously worked as the musical director of Trinity Church Wall Street in New York, but was put on leave when a then-Juilliard employee came forward with sexual assault allegations in 2022. He was eventually fired for what the church described as conduct “inconsistent with our expectations of anyone who occupies a leadership position.”
Wachner vehemently denied the assault allegations.
A woman said that Wachner had groped and kissed her at a music festival in 2014. Wachner described the encounter as consensual in a since-deleted statement posted to his website.
Wachner sued Juilliard, his accuser’s employer, for defamation. The case was dismissed.
Invent Learning Hub conducted a background check on Wachner and offered him training before the school hired him as a teacher on Sept. 30, 2024, according to the statement sent to parents.
Ryan Murphy is the communities reporter for IndyStar. She can be reached at rhmurphy@indystar.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Court docs: Indianapolis teacher, composer sent crypto to dark net site
