Columbus Man Receives 27-Year Federal Sentence for Sexually Exploiting Child in His Care

INDIANAPOLIS- Andrew Wade Case, 39, of Columbus, Indiana, has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, as well as distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material. Upon release from federal prison, Case must register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law.

According to the indictment, on December 19, 2024, Andrew Case forced Minor Victim 1 - a child under the age of 12 and in his custody and care- to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a four-minute video. In addition to exploiting the child in his care, Case also distributed other child sexual abuse material to individuals over a peer-to-peer network.

The Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Bloomington Police Department received alerts related to the videos Case shared. When investigators executed a search warrant at Case's home, they found Minor Victim 1 living in severely neglected conditions, including sleeping on the floor amid insects and showing signs of untreated lice.

A forensic examination of Case's cell phone revealed more than 600 images and videos depicting prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including content involving sadomasochistic abuse and other depictions of violence or exploitation of infants and toddlers.

"A child's home should be a sanctuary of safety, trust, and protection where they are shielded from the dangers of the world. Instead, this safe space was violated by the defendant. It is paramount we safeguard children from every threat, especially when those threats come from within their own home," said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. "While this child has endured irreversible trauma, we hope today's sentence helps restore her trust in the justice system and offers a measure of peace as she moves forward."

"The Secret Service is committed to leveraging the full weight of its cyber and forensic resources to support investigations into crimes against children," said Ike Barnes, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Indianapolis Field Office. "This case is a sobering reminder of the threat a child can face inside of their own home. Our investigators are committed to using every tool available to hold those who victimize children in their care accountable. We thank the Indiana State Police and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana for their steadfast partnership throughout this investigation, and we'll continue to work together to ensure anyone preying on a child in our community is brought to justice."

"The Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force maintains zero tolerance for adults who abuse positions of trust to sexually exploit, harm, or abuse children," said Indiana State Police Lieutenant Christopher Cecil, the commander of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. " We are committed to locating, investigating, and arresting offenders who prey on children. No child deserves to live in fear."

The United States Secret Service and the Indiana State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James P. Hanlon

U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle M. Sawa, who prosecuted this case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact your local police department. Resources for victims of child exploitation can be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood

This investigation was conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a multiagency task force led by the Indiana State Police that investigates and prosecutes persons who use the internet to sexually exploit or entice children. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. Visit https://www.internetcrimesagainstkids.comLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. to learn more about their efforts.

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