COLUMBUS, Ind. – A Bartholomew County man has been arrested on felony charges following a six-month investigation by Indiana State Police (ISP) Detectives with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Earlier this year, ISP detectives began an investigation after receiving a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a social media application discovered that a user was sharing images of possible child pornography with other users.
After multiple search warrants and subpoenas were issued and served, the potential suspect was identified as Michael E. Lawless, 56, of Columbus.
Investigators with the Indiana State Police, with the assistance of the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Secret Service, and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office served additional search warrants on Lawless in Bartholomew County on Wednesday.
Lawless was arrested on felony charges of distribution and possession of child pornography and taken to Bartholomew County Jail where he was incarcerated pending an initial court appearance.
The Indiana ICAC Task Force is a multiagency task force that investigates and prosecutes persons who use the internet to exploit children. The Indiana State Police oversees the task force.
Hoosiers are encouraged to report online exploitation, solicitation, and enticement-type crimes against children to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The NCMEC website can be accessed through the ICAC Task Force website, internetcrimesagainstkids.com.
