IMPD Sgt. used KIK to download and share child pornography

INDIANAPOLIS — When questioned about his activity on the app, IMPD Sgt. Javed Richards called it super embarrassing.

He also had concerns about his character. He was known as a high-ranking officer involved in SWAT, the assistant chief’s office, and internal affairs.

Richards said, “Whatever happened at that moment, whatever it is, it’s not who I am, right? It’s not who I am.”

The 12 counts of child exploitation and pornography are based on activity on Richards’ personal phone.

According to police, Richards hid behind the username ‘Chasepleez’ on the messaging app KIK.

There he is accused of uploading, downloading and sharing explicit content, including child pornography.

Detectives found videos ranging from 15 seconds to two minutes long of young girls believed to be under the age of 12 performing sexual acts with adult men.

These images and videos were exchanged in group conversations, using code words such as NL for ‘no borders’.

During Richards’ interview with investigators, the 12-year veteran said he no longer has a KIK account. When pressed about the chats, he said, “I don’t even know how I got on there,” before adding, “so stupid.”

WATCH | 12-Year-Old IMPD Officer Arrested for Child Exploitation

12-Year-Old IMPD Officer Arrested for Child Exploitation

According to researchers, people who trade porn often use virtual private networks (VPNs) to hide their location and identity.

Richards was using a VPN, but the connection dropped and his computer switched to his personal Wi-Fi in his apartment.

That switch alerted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

“One of our primary missions here at the center is to reduce child sexual exploitation. When we talk about the cyber tip line and we receive these reports, it is critical that we make them available to law enforcement so that a child can be protected and a suspect who commits these crimes can be held accountable,” Fallon McNulty said.

Fallon McNulty, director of the cybertip line, tells WRTV that internet companies often contact her when it comes to child exploitation.

“So the reports come primarily from the electronic service providers. These are those internet farms, social media. Companies can be things like online gaming platforms, really any type of digital platform, and then we receive about a quarter of a million reports every year from members of the public,” McNulty said.

NCMEC contacted IMPD on August 6.

Detectives identified the IP address where the nude photos and videos were sent, which matched IMPD’s records of Richards.

Investigators used Richard’s body camera to track him back to his apartment, minutes before he was accused of logging into his KIK account. They say he was logged in for hours.

In a statement, Indy Police Chief Chris Bailey called the allegations “a betrayal of the sacred oath officers take.”

According to Richards, this research gives the impression that this is who he is.

WRTV

“If I could say one thing, it would be that we can help,” McNulty said.

McNulty wants people to know that there are free resources available for victims of child sexual exploitation, and they are working to stop the images from being shared.

“Whether it’s a family reaching out to NCMEC, or maybe law enforcement reaching out to see what additional resources are available, there’s a very wide range of resources that we have here at NCMEC, all of which are free. So if we’re thinking specifically about child sexual exploitation cases. We have a dedicated team here that helps report if there’s still images circulating online. We strive to help individuals get that content removed. We have a free anonymous service called take it down, and that can be found at takeitdown.ncmec.org, and it actually allows individuals to submit what’s called a hash value, or a digital fingerprint of any images that they have or are aware of that depict when they were under the age of 18, to make sure that those aren’t shared online. We also have counselors here, mental health professionals who can talk to individuals and help them connect with local resources in their area,” she said.

In 2023, the cyber tip line received 36.2 million reports of child sexual exploitation.

14,760 of these reports were made to Indiana State Police.

Sgt. Richards was known within his department as a reliable officer.

He was most recently assigned to internal affairs, a group that investigates alleged misconduct by other officers. Now it’s Richards who is in the hot seat.

He was regarded as a ‘hero’ throughout his career.

In 2015, he received the Medal of Valor and the Purple Heart after being shot while working on the city’s east side.

A year later he was honored for helping a woman survive an accident.

Richards is currently suspended from the police force, but the police chief has recommended he be fired.

The officer is currently in jail, and prosecutors are expected to announce formal charges this week.