Austin Thompson, 32, of Elwood, was arrested July 17 and faces a series of felony charges related to child sexual exploitation and trafficking.

According to authorities, the Hamilton County Metro ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) Task Force began investigating Thompson following a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Detectives obtained search warrants for Thompson’s social media accounts, reportedly uncovering evidence of extensive possession and dissemination of child sexual abuse material.

Investigators said they found approximately 1,000 illegal images of child sexual abuse and about 2,300 messages on various platforms, where Thompson is accused of soliciting minors and sharing illicit material. He was taken into custody without incident and is currently being held at the Madison County Jail.

Charges Filed

Prosecutors have charged Thompson with:

• 2 counts of Promotion of Child Sexual Trafficking (Level 3 Felony)

• 5 counts of Child Exploitation (Level 4 Felony)

• 2 counts of Child Exploitation (Level 5 Felony)

• 1 count of Possession of Child Pornography (Level 5 Felony)

Metro ICAC Task Force

The investigation was led by the Hamilton County Metro ICAC Task Force, headquartered at the Fishers Police Department. The task force is composed of detectives from the following agencies:

• Fishers Police Department

• Carmel Police Department

• Westfield Police Department

• Noblesville Police Department

• Anderson Police Department

• Greenfield Police Department

• Hamilton County Sheriff

• Madison County Sheriff

• Department of Homeland Security

The task force investigates internet crimes against children and handles child exploitation cases in Hamilton, Hancock, Madison, and Tipton counties.

Authorities stress that a charge is merely an accusation, and the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Thompson remains held at Madison County Jail pending further proceedings.