A man named Chris Moore was arrested in Dayton, Ohio, on Sunday on an outstanding felony warrant stemming from a nearly year-long investigation by the Richmond Police Department, according to Richmond Police Department. Moore now faces charges of child molesting, sexual misconduct with a minor, and child seduction.
Detective Amanda Thackrey led the lengthy inquiry that culminated in Moore's arrest, according to the Richmond Police Department. As reported by WKEF, the case drew on assistance from a wide roster of agencies, including the Indiana Department of Child Services, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, the JACY House Child Advocacy Center, the Dayton Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
A Year of Building the Case
The multi-agency effort points to how seriously investigators treated the historical allegations against Moore. Indiana law places no statute of limitations on child molestation charges, meaning police can investigate and file charges regardless of when the alleged acts occurred, as long as the victim reports the offense before turning 31, according to Yosha Law. That extended window allows investigators time to gather digital records and corroborate statements before ever seeking an arrest.
JACY House, the Wayne County child advocacy center, played a central role in that process. Established in Richmond in 2003, the center uses specialized “Child First Indiana” forensic interview protocols designed to gather statements from suspected child abuse victims while minimizing psychological stress, per JACY House. Centers like it bring law enforcement, prosecutors, and child protective services together under one neutral roof rather than subjecting young victims to repeated interviews.
Crossing State Lines to Make the Arrest
Moore's arrest in Dayton means his case now has to clear one more procedural hurdle before he can face charges in Indiana. Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 2963, a suspect arrested in Ohio on an out-of-state warrant must appear before a local magistrate to either waive extradition or go through a formal extradition hearing before being legally transferred across state lines, according to Ohio Laws. Both states operate under the Uniform Criminal Extradition Act, which governs how fugitives move between jurisdictions.
Dayton sits roughly 45 miles east of Richmond along the Interstate 70 corridor, a stretch that has become familiar ground for joint operations between Wayne County and Montgomery County law enforcement. Hoodline reported in June that a cross-border crash investigation saw Wayne County authorities partner with Preble and Montgomery County, Ohio agencies after a victim's body was transported to the Miami Valley Regional Crime Lab in Dayton — underscoring how frequently the two regions' investigators already work side by side.
Steep Penalties Under Indiana Law
The charges Moore faces carry significant statutory weight. Under Indiana Code § 35-50-2-4, a Level 1 felony child molesting charge carries a prison sentence range of 20 to 40 years, with an advisory sentence of 30 years and fines of up to $10,000 upon conviction, according to Justia Law. A Level 4 felony sexual misconduct count carries 2 to 12 years under Indiana Code § 35-50-2-5.5, while a Level 5 felony child seduction count carries 1 to 6 years under § 35-50-2-6 — exposing Moore to a maximum potential aggregate sentence of up to 58 years across all three counts if a judge orders the sentences served consecutively.
This is not the first complex child exploitation case Detective Thackrey has led in Wayne County. In December, she spearheaded a multi-agency investigation that resulted in charges against a 60-year-old man on child molesting and incest counts, reflecting a pattern of sustained, methodical investigative work on sensitive cases involving young victims.
Moore's arrest also fits into a broader pattern playing out across Indiana this summer. In August alone, law enforcement agencies in multiple counties reported arrests following multi-month child sexual abuse investigations, with courts applying Indiana Code § 35-33-8-3.5 to order high bond or hold suspects without bond pending trial. WKEF, which first reported Moore's arrest, said it would provide updates as more information becomes available. Open questions remain, including the specific timeline of the alleged offenses, whether Moore will waive extradition in Montgomery County court, and what bond conditions Wayne County prosecutors will seek once he is returned to Indiana.
