James K. Self is a senior lecturer and the director of undergraduate studies in the Economics Department at Indiana University, teaching there for many years.
In February 2026, he was arrested in Bloomington, Indiana, and taken to the Monroe County Jail.
Police said he communicated online with an undercover investigator posing as a 14-year-old boy, requested nude photos, and identified himself as a college teacher.
Police allege he sent sexual images and made statements about meeting for sexual acts, which led to his arrest.
Before his arrest, Self worked for over two decades at Indiana University as a lecturer in economics and was responsible for directing undergraduate studies in the department.
He also served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and was described on his faculty profile as a retired lieutenant colonel.
According to his faculty profile, he earned a Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, in 2002, held office hours in Wylie Hall, and served as a key advisor for undergraduate economics students.
Following the arrest, Indiana University placed him on suspension and barred him from campus while the case proceeds.
Self was charged by the Bloomington Police Department with child solicitation, which is considered a Level 5 felony under Indiana law.
The case reportedly grew out of an undercover online operation that began in late 2025.
If convicted, that charge can carry a potential prison sentence of up to six years.
The arrest stemmed from an undercover online sting operation originating in Florida in October 2025, with Iowa investigators identifying people attempting to solicit minors.
Police also searched Self’s residence with a warrant as part of the ongoing investigation.
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