36-year-old Indiana man sentenced to over 17 years for child exploitation

PORTAGE, Ind. -- The U.S. Department of Justice announced 36-year-old Timothy J. Carpenter, of Portage, Ind., has been sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison for possessing and creating images of child sexual abuse.

According to court documents, Carpenter, caught the attention of law enforcement around July 2022 after using peer-to-peer software to knowingly receive and distribute child sexual abuse material on the internet through his cell phone.

During the investigation, authorities say they recovered Carpenter’s cell phone, which contained hundreds of images and dozens of videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.

Indiana State Police investigators say during an interview with Carpenter, he admitted he used his phone to access the illegal material.

Documents state further analysis of Carpenter’s phone revealed he also created multiple videos depicting a prepubescent child nude in a shower.

Police say the videos show Carpenter concealing a camera in multiple locations near the shower to capture video of the child.

In addition to the prison sentence, Carpenter will be required to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he's employed, and where he is a student.

Carpenter was also ordered to pay restitution totaling in $76,000 to his victims.