The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office has arrested an Evansville man on multiple counts of possession of child pornography.
Wendell Tobias Cook, 66, of Evansville, was arrested Friday following an investigation that resulted from a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Detectives with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office are part of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The tip indicated that internet files believed to contain child sexual abuse material had been uploaded from an email address in the area. Detectives reviewed the files and confirmed that it was child pornography involving adults and children. Cook was identified as the email address account holder through an investigation.
On Thursday, detectives went to Cook’s residence. A search warrant was issued following a conversation with Cook.
Several devices and a phone were seized. An analysis of the devices by the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office Digital Forensics Lab led to the discovery of hundreds of pornographic images.
While each image will have to be analyzed separately, most appear to be child sexual abuse material involving prepubescent children and, in many instances, adults engaging in sexual behavior. The child sexual abuse material also included images of child celebrities’ faces superimposed on the bodies of real children.
Cook was arrested at his residence and taken to the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office on Friday.
He was interviewed by detectives and confessed to knowingly downloading child pornography. He also admitted to having inappropriate sexual fantasies involving girls between the ages of 10-14.
Detectives also located several life-size silicone torsos depicting young children that Cook admitted to possessing and using in connection with those fantasies.
Cook was arrested and charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography, all Level 4 Felonies. He will be held without bond until he makes an appearance in court.
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