Zina Kumok

zkumok@etruth.com

An Elkhart man has been charged with seven counts of having or producing child pornography.

An investigator from the Indiana State Police discovered through a peer-to-peer program that Jeffrey Cripe, 38, had downloaded multiple videos that were likely child pornography.

According to Mary L. Hatton from the United States Attorney’s Office, the detective was able to view through screen captures that Cripe had about 41 files which had been previously identified as child pornography. In March and April, investigators sent a subpoena to the internet service provider to identify the IP address.

They executed a search warrant in July and found one laptop and two desktop computers that all had child pornography, as found by the forensic examiner.

Cripe was present at the search. He was arrested on July 24 and had an initial hearing in front of the magistrate on that same day.

He was charged with:

• three counts of distribution of child pornography

• two counts of enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit activity

• one count of production of child pornography

• one count of possession of child pornography.

He had a detention hearing on July 27 and was remanded into custody. According to Hatton, he is still in jail.

The investigation against Cripe was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, which is a project led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.