An Elkhart man is facing multiple felony counts after an Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children tip led officers to a Wagner Avenue apartment, police said. Rene Rodriguez, 59, was arrested Tuesday when investigators executed a residential search warrant in the 300 block of Wagner Avenue and booked into the Elkhart County Jail. The Elkhart County Prosecutor filed formal charges Friday in Elkhart Superior Court under case number 20D03-2606-F5-000138. A judicial officer set his bond at $100,000 surety, and Rodriguez remained in custody at the latest update.
Police say ICAC tip led to search
In a post from the Elkhart Police Department, investigators say an officer assigned to the Indiana ICAC Task Force “received and reviewed an ICAC tip” alleging child sex abuse material linked to a specific IP address. After going through that tip, officers applied for a residential search warrant targeting electronic devices inside the Wagner Avenue unit and carried out the search on Tuesday, according to the department.
Charges, booking and case number
During the search, officers arrested Rodriguez and took him to the Elkhart County Jail, where he was booked, police said. Prosecutors later charged him with two counts of possession of child sex abuse material, each a Level 6 felony, and one count of possession of child sex abuse material with an aggravating factor, a Level 5 felony. The formal case was filed in Elkhart Superior Court on Friday under case number 20D03-2606-F5-000138, and Rodriguez “remained in Elkhart County Jail at last information,” according to details provided by the Elkhart Police Department.
Local context and next steps
The ICAC Task Force funnels cyber tips to local investigators, and Elkhart has seen a run of these types of cases this year. Earlier investigations led to searches and felony charges in the spring, as noted by the City of Elkhart and local coverage from ABC57. From here, the case will move into arraignment and standard court scheduling in Elkhart Superior Court, with formal timelines handled through the court calendar and the prosecutor’s office.
Legal notes
Under Indiana law, a Level 5 felony carries an advisory sentencing range of roughly one to six years, while a Level 6 felony usually carries a range of about six months to two-and-a-half years. Aggravating factors can increase potential exposure within those ranges. These figures reflect statutory ranges rather than predictions about this particular case, and Rodriguez, like any defendant, is presumed innocent until proven guilty, consistent with the Elkhart County Prosecutor's Office and Indiana sentencing statutes (see Indiana Code).
