Indiana University student Gregory Gabler has agreed to plead guilty to a felony criminal confinement charge in connection with a sexual assault that prosecutors say occurred after an IU football game in September 2024. The plea, filed in Monroe County Circuit Court 2, calls for a six-year sentence that would be suspended to probation and includes 200 hours of community service. Court materials state that the alleged victim left Gabler's room at about 3 a.m. on Sept. 7, 2024, and include photographs documenting bruises and bite marks.
Plea terms and evidence
According to WTHR, the agreement resolves multiple charges. Gabler will plead guilty to felony criminal confinement, and in return prosecutors will dismiss two rape counts. The deal calls for a six-year term that the paperwork specifies will be fully suspended to probation and requires Gabler to complete 200 hours of community service along with other conditions. WTHR reports that police photographs attached to court filings show bruising on the victim's face, neck, chest and arm, along with circular bite marks.
How police say the assault unfolded
The Indiana Daily Student reported that the alleged assault followed the Sept. 6 game, when the victim and several friends went to Gabler’s dorm room and later left. The outlet notes that the victim then returned alone to Gabler’s room before fleeing in the early hours of Sept. 7. Campus police located Gabler in class on Sept. 10 and brought him in for questioning. Court documents say he declined to answer investigators' questions before officers arrested him. Local coverage from outlets including WBIW states that the victim’s roommate told police the victim woke her up and said she had been assaulted.
Sentence, probation and next steps
The plea agreement still needs approval from the court before it becomes final. As reported by WTHR, the deal would allow Gabler to move to Florida and complete his probation there under supervision. Prosecutors have agreed to drop the rape charges as part of the negotiated settlement, and the court will set a hearing to formally consider the plea and spell out probation terms. If the judge signs off, Gabler will carry a felony conviction while avoiding an executed prison term under the suspended sentence described in the agreement.
What the charge means
Indiana law generally defines criminal confinement under IC 35-42-3-3. The offense is typically a lower-level felony, but it can be elevated if it results in bodily injury. The statute and its related sentencing ranges are laid out in state code, and the confinement statute and grading are summarized in IC 35-42-3-3. The six-year term referenced in the plea lines up with the higher end of the potential sentence prosecutors could have pursued if the confinement charge was elevated based on the alleged injuries.
The case has drawn renewed attention to safety at the start of the academic year, and Indiana University continues to promote confidential resources for survivors. IU’s Office for Sexual Violence Prevention and the IU Sexual Assault Crisis Service both maintain 24/7 hotlines and advocacy services for students, according to the university resource site at IU’s Office for Sexual Violence Prevention. The case remains on the docket in Monroe County Circuit Court 2, and court records will reflect the next hearing date and any action on the pending plea.
