COLUMBUS – A Columbus man was arrested on charges of child exploitation after allegedly uploading pornographic images of children.
According to the Columbus Police Department, in February, officers stopped 30-year-old Caleb Kirts driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen out of Indianapolis. Kirts told police that his cell phone contained evidence of the vehicle, and police seized the phone.
After obtaining a search warrant, officers with the city’s Intelligence Led Policing Unit searched the phone for evidence about the stolen vehicle but also discovered child pornography. The National Institute for Missing and Exploited Children received several tips in 2022 and 2023 that Kirts had uploaded pornographic images.
Officers with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force served a search warrant on Kirts’ home in the 3900 block of North County Road 500 West, and multiple electronic devices were seized. Police arrested Kirts at a truck repair business on East State Road 46.
The investigation remains ongoing, and Kirts may face more charges.
The Columbus Police Department, the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office joined the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in July 2023.
