A press release from the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office shares that a La Porte County man faces 26 felony charges following an investigation that began with a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
According to the release, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received a report from Snapchat in May concerning online activity involving suspected child sexual abuse material. The CyberTip was then forwarded to the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Sheriff’s Office ICAC detectives were assigned to the CyberTip in July and began a two-month investigation. Detectives worked to identify the person associated with the reported activity, developed additional evidence, and established probable cause for an arrest.
On October 6th, deputies assigned to the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force located and arrested 46-year-old Paul R. Fasshauer.
Fasshauer faces 26 counts of child exploitation, all Level 4 felonies.
Following the arrest, detectives with the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division executed a search warrant at Fasshauer’s nearby residence.
The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is a nationwide network of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that investigates technology-facilitated crimes against children. The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office recognized Detectives Alex Pishkur and Derrick Deck for their work on the investigation.
The U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Indiana State Police, and Michigan City Police Department also assisted.
The Sheriff’s Office encourages parents and guardians to remain involved in their children’s online activity, regularly discuss internet safety, and report suspicious or inappropriate online conduct involving minors.
Arrests and criminal charges are accusations. Every person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
