Evansville Man Arrested for Child Pornography

The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office has arrested an Evansville man on charges related to Child Pornography.  The arrest was the result of an investigation that began in January and led to the execution of search warrants at the residence of the suspect, Tyler Vest.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a nationwide organization that assists law enforcement in identifying the distribution of child pornography.  They partner with the Indiana’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.  The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office is a member of this task force.  In January of 2025, NCMEC notified ICAC that an individual with the username of “fitdad 93” uploaded an image of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) using Kik Messenger Service.  Kik is a peer-to-peer encrypted messenger application.  It was believed to have occurred in the jurisdiction of the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office.

Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office who work with ICAC commenced an investigation and through the use of subpoenas and other means, were able to identify the suspect as well as determine that his residence and place of employment were locations from which these images had been downloaded and disseminated.  The image from the initial tip was determined to be a prepubescent child and was pornographic in nature.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for Vest’s residence and on April 8^th, the warrant was executed.  During the search, suspected cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, Psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana was observed.  A second search warrant for narcotics was obtained and the search continued.  Several electronic devices including his cell phone and a computer hard drive were seized in addition to the illicit drugs.

Vest was transported to the Sheriff’s Operations Center and interviewed.  He gave a voluntary statement in which he admitted ownership of the drugs.  He also admitted to downloading and possessing child pornography.  During the course of the interview, Vest gave detectives information possibly implicating himself in other crimes.  Further investigation is being conducted and another jurisdiction may become involved. 

Vest was arrested on multiple drug possession charges and placed in the Vanderburgh County Jail.  He posted a $500 bond on April 9^th and was released.  He was not initially charged with child pornography-related crimes as a forensic analysis of the electronics seized was required.

The extraction and forensic analysis of data from cellphones and computers is a lengthy process.  Over a terabyte of data and thousands of images will be reviewed in this case utilizing the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office Electronics Lab.  During an initial review, detectives were able to identify a number of images and at least one video depicting prepubescent and pubescent children engaged in sexual activity with other children of a similar age as well as with adults.  While it is expected that additional images and videos containing CSAM will likely be discovered, sufficient probable cause was present to arrest Vest.

Sheriff’s Detectives arrested Vest at his residence today on probable cause.  He was charged with one count of Child Exploitation as a Level 5 Felony and nine counts of Possession of Child Pornography as Level 6 Felonies.  He was taken to the Vanderburgh County Jail where he will be held without bond until he makes a court appearance.

“Crimes like these leave lasting scars on the most vulnerable among us, our children,” said Sheriff Noah Robinson. “The exploitation of a child is not just a violation of the law, it is a profound betrayal of innocence that no one should ever endure. I’m proud of the work our detectives have done alongside the Indiana ICAC Task Force and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. This case demonstrates both the strength of our partnerships and the critical role our technology and expertise play in holding offenders accountable.”

Arrested:  Tyler Daniel Vest, 31, Evansville

Charges:  1 Count of Child Exploitation Level 5 Felony/9 Counts Possession of Child Pornography Level 6 Felonies

Presumption of Innocence Notice: The fact that a person has been arrested or charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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