A 20-year-old Indiana University student from Claypool is facing felony charges after investigators say a cybertip about a Discord account distributing child sex abuse material led them straight to his campus apartment. Porter James Rich was arrested in Bloomington and charged with child exploitation, a Level 4 felony, and possession of child sex abuse material, a Level 6 felony.
According to InkFreeNews, Rich lives at 6294 W. 600S in Claypool but was attending Indiana University in Bloomington at the time of his arrest. The case began on May 18, 2026, when an Indiana University Police Department detective received an Internet Crimes Against Children cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning a person distributing child sex abuse material on Discord, as reported by Fox 59. The tip stemmed from a report originating with the messaging app itself, according to the Indiana Daily Student.
Investigators Traced the Account Back to Campus
Court documents cited by Fox 59 indicate that the suspect Discord account uploaded one image in October 2025 that was determined to be child sex abuse material, and officers determined Rich was the individual whose phone number was connected to that upload. The station's report notes that Rich allegedly used the platform to download and share nude images of children, with the account reportedly created around Oct. 27, 2025. The Indiana Daily Student reported that Rich sent five files through Discord on Oct. 29, 2025, which were determined to be child sex abuse material, while officers separately located four additional images tied to the account, per court documents cited by Fox 59.
Public radio station Indiana Public Media reported that Discord data showed the account had been accessed from an IP address associated with Indiana University's network. According to court documents, Rich uploaded the images to servers or sent them directly to other users.
Search Warrant Executed at Campus Apartment
A search warrant was executed at Rich's campus apartment in Bloomington on Sept. 18, 2026, with the Indiana Daily Student identifying the location as the Hickory Building of Union Street Apartments, where police seized several electronic devices. In an interview with police that day, Rich admitted to viewing, downloading and distributing child sex abuse material over multiple online platforms over the last six years, Fox 59 reported.
Rich told investigators he had amassed a collection of the material and estimated it numbered in the low hundreds, per the same account. The Indiana Daily Student reported that Rich estimated his collection at more than 100 videos and photos, some involving children as young as 5. Rich was arrested in Monroe County and later released on bond; the two outlets reported differing bond figures, with Fox 59 citing a $20,000 surety bond and the Indiana Daily Student citing a $200,000 surety bond plus a $500 cash bond. The Indiana Daily Student also reported that Rich's pretrial conference is scheduled for Jan. 11, 2027.
State Context for Rising Cybertip Numbers
Indiana's broader battle against online child exploitation has intensified in recent years. The Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received 29,635 cybertips in 2025, a 38% increase over the prior year, according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle. Indiana State Police arrested 499 people for crimes against children in 2025 and rescued 126 children from ongoing abuse, the outlet reported, as the task force grew from 470 to 520 officers over the same period.
That surge has continued into 2026, with the task force logging nearly 3,000 tips early in the year, per the Indiana Capital Chronicle. A separate, monthlong Indiana State Police operation called Operation Guardian Angel, reported by WLFI, resulted in 61 arrests and the rescue of nine children from ongoing abuse in August, targeting hands-on sexual abuse, sextortion and online exploitation. WLFI reported the operation included 237 reactive cases sparked by citizen tips and identified nearly 90 newly documented child victims.
What the Charges Mean
Under Indiana Code, the child exploitation statute defines “disseminate” as transferring possession of material for free or for consideration. Rich now faces prosecution on both the Level 4 felony child exploitation charge and the Level 6 felony possession charge stemming from the Bloomington investigation.
