INDIANAPOLIS — An IMPD sergeant officially pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of child exploitation and one count of possession of child pornography.
IMPD Sgt. Javed Richards was in court the morning of Aug. 22, where he told a judge he would hire his own attorney.
Richards appeared in a jail jumpsuit, instead of the IMPD uniform he's worn for a dozen years. Richards had paid his $4,000 bond but would not be released until he turned over his passports and guns.
His trial is scheduled for Oct. 24, 2024.
On Aug. 6, a detective with Internet Crimes Against Children received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploitation Children, which is a national clearing house for missing and exploited children and alerts law enforcement to material uploaded or download of sexually exploited children on the internet.
A week later, detectives received evidence that an IP address came back to a personal home router with the same name as Richards, who has been with the department for 12 years and was most recently assigned to the Internal Affairs Unit.
On Aug. 16, the detective obtained additional evidence through search warrants, which confirmed the alleged suspect was Richards. At that point, detectives from IMPD's Special Investigation Unit were notified and joined the investigation.
According to court documents, during that investigation, detectives put together a timeline of a weekend in which Richards' body camera GPS data showed a stop outside his apartment followed by child pornography files uploaded by a Kik Messenger app account first using a VPN, then switching to a home internet IP address located at Richards' address.
Records from Kik Messenger obtained via a search warrant revealed the Kik account had been involved in the trading of child pornography files, according to court documents.
Additional investigation indicated a VPN IP address used to access Richards' personal email account was later used to share child pornography.
When interviewed by detectives Monday, Aug. 19, Richards allegedly acknowledged having previously had a Kik account but denied having one at that point. When asked about the specific Kik account in the investigation, Richards allegedly said, "Whatever happened in that moment, whatever it was, is not who I am, right? It is not who I am."
While Richards was being interviewed, detectives served search warrants at his apartment, according to court docs, collecting documents and finding a router which was broadcasting the same IP address used in the Kik child pornography uploads.
Richards was taken into custody and arrested that day on 12 counts of child exploitation, all Level 4 felonies.
A $4,000 cash bond was set in the case, according to court documents. An initial hearing was scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 22.
Prosecutors filed charges Wednesday, Aug. 21 on 13 counts of child exploitation and one count of possession of child pornography.
"I am profoundly shocked and disturbed by the allegations involving an IMPD officer. His alleged actions constitute a betrayal of the sacred oath we take to protect and serve our community. These actions do not reflect the character of the brave men and women who serve Indianapolis with integrity and dedication every day," IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said in a statement. "The exploitation of children through pornography is an unimaginable crime that inflicts lasting harm on our most vulnerable. I commend the unwavering dedication of our detectives in the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit. Their efforts in investigating, prosecuting, and formulating responses to these heinous crimes ensure that those who prey on children are held accountable."
On Monday, Bailey suspended Richards from the department, pending a recommendation of termination to the IMPD Civilian Police Merit Board.
Kristina Korobov, senior attorney with the Zero Abuse Project, said this kind of crime can happen in any profession and that there isn't a type.
"It is truly a crime that has no borders. It's a crime that knows no limits. Really, an offender can be in any profession. It's always concerning when that person is in a position of trust, though," Korobov said.
Korobov said we all have a part to play in eliminating child abuse.
"Be vigilant. If you see something disturbing on a co-worker's device or computers or you hear them talking about things that seem to be disturbing, speak up," Korobov said. "The other thing is to educate our children. We find that this conduct starts earlier and earlier with kids. They now have access to pornography online and that includes child pornography."