SEYMOUR – A Cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) led to the arrest of a Seymour man on charges of possession of child pornography.
Detectives with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department – Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force began an investigation in December 2023 after receiving a cyber tip report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The tip indicated that 34-year-old Joshua Dale Horton used an online cloud storage service to upload images depicting child sexual abuse material. Using the information in the tip, investigators could identify and locate the residence where the photos were uploaded.
On Thursday, March 14, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department ICAC detectives, with the assistance of the Indiana State Police ICAC team and the Monroe County High Tech Crime Unit-IUPD Bloomington, went to Joshua Horton’s home and workplace and executed search warrants.
As a result of the investigation, Horton was arrested and faces the charge of possession and distribution of child pornography, a level 5 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 exploit or entice children, and the Indiana State Police oversees the task force.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department joined the Indiana ICAC Task Force in July 2023. 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. To report a crime with your child as a victim involving the Internet or other electronic means, don’t hesitate to contact your local Indiana law enforcement agency.
