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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA federal judge sentenced a Columbus man to more than 27 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child after investigators found more than 600 lewd images and videos of children on his phone.
Andrew Wade Case, 39, also pleaded guilty to distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Case forced a child under age 12 to perform sexually explicit acts for a four-minute video on Dec. 19, 2024, the release states. He also distributed other child sexual abuse materials through a peer-to-peer sharing network.
An attorney listed in federal court files as Case’s representative did not respond Tuesday afternoon to a request for comment from The Indiana Lawyer.
The Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Bloomington Police Department received alerts about the video. Investigators executed a search warrant for Case’s home during which they found the minor depicted in the video sleeping on the floor amid insects and showing signs of untreated lice.
Investigators then found on Case’s phone more than 600 images and videos depicting prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit acts, several of which involve violence.
“The Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force maintains zero tolerance for adults who abuse positions of trust to sexually exploit, harm, or abuse children,” said Indiana State Police Lieutenant Christopher Cecil in the justice department statement. “We are committed to locating, investigating, and arresting offenders who prey on children. No child deserves to live in fear.”
Cecil is the commander of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Case will be under supervised release for the rest of his life and will have to register as a sex offender after he’s released from prison.
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