Disgraced IMPD Sergeant to Spend Nine Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

INDIANAPOLIS- Javed Richards, 45, of Indianapolis has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to distribution of visual depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Richards was ordered to pay $17,000 in restitution, to be divided among five victims and due immediately.

According to court documents, between July and August 2024, Richards used the social media application Kik to trade images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Using the online identity "Chasepleez" and a VPN to conceal his location, Richards engaged in conversations with other users to distribute and receive images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children. Richards possessed more than 600 files, including ones depicting the sexual abuse of children under the age of 12, as well as depictions of sexual violence and the abuse of toddlers.

At the time of the offense, Richards was a Sergeant assigned to the Internal Affairs Unit of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), which is responsible for investigating allegations of officer misconduct.

"Richards is a wolf in sheep's clothing. As a police officer, he swore an oath to protect our community. Instead, he chose to contribute to the revictimization of children and distributed images of horrific child sexual abuse, all while his job was to hold other officers accountable for violating those same oaths," said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. "These children had their innocence taken from them, and Richards-a trusted authority figure-preyed on their vulnerability for his own gratification. No badge places anyone above the law, and our office will continue to demonstrate that protecting children is the Justice Department's highest duty."

"The exploitation of children is among the most disturbing crimes we investigate, and this sentence clearly shows that no one is above the law. There are serious consequences awaiting those who abuse positions of trust to engage in criminal activity involving child sexual abuse material," said Timothy J. O'Malley. "The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue working tirelessly to protect vulnerable victims and pursue offenders wherever they operate, regardless of their profession or position in the community."

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker.

U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Wood, who prosecuted this case.

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.

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.

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