The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office announced on Friday that within the past 30 days, Detectives Alex Pishkur and Derrick Deck, of our Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, have investigated cases resulting in the arrests of two individuals accused of offenses involving crimes against children.
20-year-old Drew J.Pratt, of La Porte, was arrested July 27 for 11 counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
24-year-old Devin M. McCoy, of La Crosse, was arrested August 28 for five counts of Child Exploitation.
“These types of investigations require countless hours of specialized investigative work, digital evidence examination, coordination, and persistence, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. “Both ICAC Detectives remain committed to identifying those who exploit children, locating offenders, and holding them accountable through the criminal justice system.”
“The possession and dissemination of CSAM is not a victimless crime, the sheriff’s office said. “Behind every image and every video is a child who was sexually abused and exploited. Each time that material is possessed, viewed, traded, or distributed, that victimization continues.”
“The Sheriff’s Office will continue working aggressively to identify offenders, investigate crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children, and protect the most vulnerable members of our community.”