A Cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) led to the arrest of a Scottsburg man for possession of child pornography and child exploitation.
Detectives with the Indiana State Police – Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force in Sellersburg began an investigation in July 2023 after receiving a cyber tip report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip indicated an unknown person used the Snapchat application to upload images depicting child sexual abuse material.
Utilizing the information provided in the tip, investigators were able to identify and locate the specific residence where the images were uploaded. On January 23, 2024, Indiana State Police ICAC detectives, with the assistance of the Sellersburg Post All Crimes Policing squad, went to the residence and conducted a voluntary interview with a resident, later identified as 27-year-old Joseph Richard Sullivan. As the investigation continued, ICAC detectives obtained and executed a search warrant for the residence. As a result of the investigation, Joseph Richard Sullivan was arrested on three counts of Possession and/or Distribution of Child Pornography. Each count is a Level 4 Felony.
The Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is a multiagency task force that investigates and prosecutes persons who use the internet to sexually exploit or entice children, and the Indiana State Police oversees the task force.
The Indiana ICAC Task Force encourages Hoosiers to report online exploitation, solicitation, and enticement-type crimes against children to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The NCMEC website can be accessed through the ICAC Task Force website.
