Huntingburg police arrest man on child exploitation charges
The Huntingburg Police Department arrested a Holland resident after being notified by Google of child sex abuse material being disseminated.
On October 15, 2025, Detectives with the Huntingburg Police Department, affiliates of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, launched the investigation after receiving a Cyber Tip Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) pertaining to Child Sex Abuse Material/Child Exploitation.
The Cyber Tip was generated by Google and included media files depicting child sex abuse material. During the investigation, it was determined that 51-year-old Roy E. Stearns of Holland was the user of the Google account that uploaded the files.
During the afternoon of October 21, 2025, two search warrants were executed in Holland. Detectives from the Huntingburg Police Department were assisted by investigators with the Jasper Police Department, Dubois County Sheriff’s Office, Ferdinand Police Department, and Dubois County Prosecutor’s Office. During the search, additional evidence was seized and will be searched for additional Child Sex Abuse Material.
As a result of the investigation, on October 21, 2025, Roy E. Stearns was taken into custody and booked into the Dubois County Security Center on preliminary Level 5 felony charges of Child Exploitation/Possession of Child Sex Abuse Material.
This investigation was led by Huntingburg detectives, affiliated members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The Indiana ICAC is 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.
The Indiana ICAC Task Force encourages Hoosiers to report online exploitation, solicitation, and enticement-type crimes against children to the Nation Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). To learn more about the Indiana ICAC Task Force or to access NCMEC, go to Indiana ICAC Task Force website at https://internetcrimesagainstkids.com. To report a crime against your child involving the Internet or other electronic means, please contact your local Indiana law enforcement agency.
The Huntingburg Police Department emphasizes that the filing of the information is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
