Indianapolis man charged with child abuse, possession of child pornography

PORTER COUNTY, Indiana — An Indianapolis man is facing a handful of felony charges after authorities allege he had sexually oriented communications with a 12-year-old Porter County girl.

According to Portage police, 31-year-old Indianapolis resident Daniel Roberts faces a series of felony charges, including three counts of indirect sexual gratification, eight counts of child molestation and four counts of possession of child pornography.

The charges were filed following an investigation into alleged communications between Roberts and a Portage child via the messaging app Snapchat.

Authorities said the incident came to light after the victim spoke to a school counselor, after which her phone was turned over to police by a parent for investigation.

During the investigation, Portage police discovered that Roberts knew he was speaking to a child and had also encouraged her to perform sexual acts and provide him with pornographic images.

Daniel Roberts, 31, of Indianapolis, is accused of a series of crimes, including three counts of indirect sexual gratification, eight counts of child luring and four counts of possession of child pornography.

According to police, officers turned over Snapchat hold letters and company officials provided officers with information about the account Roberts was using, which later led investigators to his home in the 8300 block of Goldfinch Circle in Indianapolis.

Portage Police Department detectives, along with officers from the Fishers Police Department and members of the Indiana Cybercrimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, went to the home Tuesday to execute a search warrant and take Roberts into custody.

When authorities arrived at the home, Roberts was outside and reportedly fled on foot.

Roberts was arrested a short time later after authorities deployed a TASER and were able to disable him.

Following his arrest, Roberts was taken to the Porter County Jail, where he is currently being held on $70,000 bail.

Authorities added that Roberts was already wanted in Jefferson County, Colorado, for violating the terms of his probation. He was charged with sexual exploitation of a minor and attempted sexual assault of a child.