BEDFORD — A Bedford man is facing criminal charges after allegedly violating a protective order by attempting to contact a protected family member via text message.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Officer Christian James of the Lawrence County Police Department, Brian Waggoner, 44, has been charged with invasion of privacy, a family offense in violation of Indiana law.
The investigation began on April 13, 2026, when the female victim arrived at the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department to report a breach of a court-issued protective order.
Brittany informed investigators that on the morning of April 11, she received a notification for a text message from a phone number she identified as belonging to Brian Waggoner. According to the affidavit, the message was received at approximately 6:43 a.m. The sender deleted the message before the victim could read the contents. The victim identified the phone number as her former number, which she says is now used by Waggoner.
The victim’s father also reported receiving a message from Waggoner on the same morning from a different phone number. While that message did not mention the female victim, it established a pattern of communication attempts by the defendant that morning.
Officer James contacted the phone number associated with the deleted message. Brian Waggoner answered the call and, after being informed he was free to end the conversation at any time, denied attempting to contact the woman.
However, Waggoner reportedly admitted to contacting the woman’s father, arguing that the protective order only applied to the woman and not her father.
Records show Waggoner was officially served with the Protective Order on March 17, 2026, while he was an inmate at the Lawrence County Jail.
“The defendant was fully aware of the restrictions placed upon him by the court,” the affidavit suggests, noting the previous service of the order at the jail.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
