Indiana man wanted on a number of child porn charges arrested at US border in Texas

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — A 46-year-old man is awaiting extradition to Indiana following an undercover investigation into peer-to-peer file sharing of child pornography, according to Indiana State Police.

The ISP Cyber Crime Unit conducted an undercover peer-to-peer file sharing investigation on Sept 16, 2016 regarding a user sharing child pornography through the web, according to a press release from Indiana State Police.

The investigation revealed that criminal activity was occurring at a residence in the 200 block of Greenwood Drive in Churubusco, Indiana.

Multiple agencies including the Churubusco Police Department, Fort Wayne Police Department, Indiana Crimes Against Children Task Force, Whitley County Sheriff Department and Indiana State Police executed a search warrant on May 24, 2017 at the residence where a search led investigators to numerous digital data devices which included cell phones, hard drives and computers.

A digital forensic examination of the digital data showed numerous child pornography files, according to the press release.

Investigators named Jason B. Semler  as the suspect allegedly responsible for the criminal activity. Semler, according to investigators, had reportedly been in contact with minors through the internet and is accused of sharing a number of nude videos and photos with minors, one of them residing in Ireland and another in Virginia.

Whitley Circuit Court, on June 21, 2018, issued a nationwide arrest warrant for Semler on the following charges:

• Three Counts of Child Exploitation, Level 5 Felony
• Two Counts of Vicarious Sexual Gratification, Level 6 Felony
• Four Counts of Posession of Child Pornography, Level 6 Felony

Investigators say Semler fled the country allegedly to avoid arrest.

46-year-old Semler was arrested by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement on May 6, 2019 at approximately 5:30 p.m. after attempting to enter the U.S. from Mexico.

Semler is awaiting extradition to Indiana and is in federal custody in Laredo, Texas.

The case is under investigation.

The Churubusco Police Department, Whitley County Prosecutor’s Office, Whitley County Sheriff Department, Fort Wayne Police Department, United States Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement assisted in the investigation.