32-year-old Elwood man charged with child exploitation

Elwood man arrested for child exploitation

ELWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — A 32-year-old Elwood man was formally charged Friday in a Madison County court with 10 felonies including two counts of promotion of child sex trafficking, online court records show.

The Hamilton County Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force said in a news release issued Tuesday that it arrested Austin Thompson on Thursday.

The release said detectives with the Fishers-based task force served search warrants on Thompson’s social media accounts, uncovering evidence of possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material. The investigation revealed approximately 1,000 images of child sex abuse and around 2,300 messages soliciting minors for such material.

In addition to the mid-level felony charges of promotion of child sex trafficking, Thompson also was charged with five mid-level felony counts of child exploitation; two low-level felony counts of child exploitation; and a low-level felony count of possession of child pornography, online records from Madison Circuit Court 6 show. No additional hearings had been set in the case as of Tuesday night.

Thompson on Tuesday night remained in the Madison County jail in Anderson on a $50,000 bond.

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