Elwood Man Busted on Child Trafficking, Exploitation Charges
HAMILTON COUNTY, Ind. — A multi-agency task force has arrested an Elwood, Indiana man on a series of serious charges related to child sexual trafficking and exploitation.
Austin Thompson, 32, was taken into custody on Thursday, July 17, 2025, following an investigation by the Hamilton County Metro Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Thompson faces multiple felony counts, including:
Two counts of Promotion of Child Sexual Trafficking (Level 3 Felony)
Five counts of Child Exploitation (Level 4 Felony)
Two counts of Child Exploitation (Level 5 Felony)
One count of Possession of Child Pornography (Level 5 Felony)
The investigation was initiated after the task force received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Detectives subsequently served search warrants on Thompson’s social media accounts, uncovering evidence that included approximately 1,000 child sex abuse images.
Further evidence revealed approximately 2,300 messages across various social media platforms where Thompson was allegedly soliciting minors for child sex abuse material. Thompson is currently being held at the Madison County Jail.
The Hamilton County Metro ICAC Task Force is headquartered at the Fishers Police Department and comprises detectives from the Fishers, Carmel, Westfield, Noblesville, Anderson, and Greenfield Police Departments, as well as the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Homeland Security. The task force focuses on internet crimes against children and investigates child exploitation cases across Hamilton, Hancock, Madison, and Tipton counties.
