A Cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) led to the arrest of a Floyd County man for possession of child pornography.  
 
The investigation began in July 2024 by the Indianapolis Metro Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) cybercrimes unit when they received a cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating that images possibly depicting child pornography had been uploaded to a social media account.

During their initial investigation, they became aware that the suspect perhaps lived in Southern Indiana, so the case was transferred to the Indiana State Police ICAC Taskforce in August 2024.

Continuing the work initiated by the Indianapolis Metro Police Department, The ISP ICAC team identified 39-year-old Alfred De La Garza from Floyd County, Indiana as a possible suspect.  

Acting on search warrants, Mr. De La Garza was located at his Elizabeth, Indiana (Floyd County) residence on January 23rd and interviewed. 

Following the interview and investigation, De la Garza was arrested and booked into the Floyd County Jail without incident on 3 counts of Possession and/or Distribution of Child Pornography.  Each of the  three counts is a Level 5 Felony.

The Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is a multiagency task force that investigates and prosecutes persons who use the internet to sexually exploit or entice children, and the Indiana State Police oversees the task force.
 
The Indiana ICAC Task Force encourages Hoosiers to report online exploitation, solicitation, and enticement-type crimes against children to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

The NCMEC website can be accessed through the ICAC Task Force website. To report a crime with your child as a victim involving the Internet or other electronic means, please contact your local Indiana law enforcement agency.
 
ICAC Taskforce website: https://www.in.gov/isp/icactf/

A 51-year-old Salem man was arrested Thusday after trying to get out of paying child support by saying he had died and also for lying to police along with other charges. 

During a virtual meeting with Washington County Circuit Judge Larry Medlock it was discovered that Jeffrey Lynn Bell, Jr, 51, Salem was not out of state as he claimed but was in a residence in Washington County. 

Washington County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to the residence while the virtual meeting was ongoing.  

Information gained at the house after the officer’s arrival confirmed Jeffrey Bell Jr. was inside the residence and not out of state, prompting presiding Judge Larry Medlock to order Bell taken into custody and transported immediately to his courtroom.  

As a result of his actions, Bell Jr. is currently charged with three counts of Failing to Appear, one count of False Informing, and one count of Contempt of Court. 

Bell was incarcerated in the Washington County Jail and is being held on a $100,000 bond for the False Informing charge and without bond for two of the Failure to Appear charges and the Contempt charge.  

Bell is held on a $500 bond for one of the Failure to Appear charges.

In April of 2024, ISP Detective Travis Baker met with the Washington County Child Support Administrator, who said she received emails stating Jeffrey Lynn Bell Jr. had passed away. The emails related that due to Mr. Bell’s death, a large amount of child support owed by Bell would go unpaid. Detective Baker was also informed that Jeffrey Bell was allegedly still living and staying at a residence in northern Washington County with his girlfriend.  

Soon after, Detective Baker responded to the possible residence and encountered a man who Baker would eventually identify as Jeffrey Bell Jr., despite initial claims to the contrary.  As a result of this investigation, the Washington County Prosecutor initially charged Jeffrey Bell with False Informing and provided an initial court date.  

On Thursday, January 23rd, Jeffrey Bell Jr. appeared in the Washington County Circuit Court via a virtual online meeting regarding the False Informing charges.  

Bell made his court appearance virtually instead of an in-person meeting due to allegedly being out of the state.  

However, during the online court proceedings, officials came to believe Jeffrey Bell was still in Indiana and attending the virtual meeting from the same Washington County residence where Detective Baker had initially contacted Bell.