FORT WAYNE – On November 18, 2024, detectives with the Indiana State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) arrested a Fort Wayne man on alleged charges related to the possession of child pornography.
This arrest was the result of a three-month investigation by the Indiana State Police ICAC Task Force after a tip was received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The Indianapolis Metro Police Department referred the tip to the task force on September 9, 2024.
The tip ultimately led to the Indiana State Police serving a search warrant at a residence in the 10000 block of Traders Court, Fort Wayne, IN.
As a result of the investigation, Joshua Bear, 51, of Fort Wayne, was arrested yesterday morning on two counts of Possession of Child Pornography, Level 6 Felony, and one count of Possession of Child Pornography, Level 5 Felony. Bear was transported to the Allen County Jail and booked into custody.
The Indianapolis Metro Police Department assisted the Indiana State Police, Allen County Prosecutor’s Office, Fort Wayne Police Department, and the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations Taskforce.
The criminal charges listed are merely allegations at the time of the arrest. Arrested persons named in this release are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Indiana State Police oversees the ICAC Task Force, a multi-agency task force that investigates allegations of using the internet to exploit or entice children sexually.
The 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.
ICAC Task Force website:https://www.in.gov/isp/icactf/.
