Indiana
Indiana man arrested for online relationship with DeSoto County child
DESOTO COUNTY, Fla. — DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office arrested an Indiana man in connection to sexual conduct with a child.
According to DCSO, a concerned parent contacted them in early 2021 regarding an adult contacting their child through the messaging app Discord.
DCSO’s Criminal Investigation Unit was able to identify the Discord user as 25-year-old Cody Alan Eckhardt of Muncie, Indiana.
A search warrant was executed on Eckhardt’s Discord account. Investigators found that he had been talking explicitly to a minor and soliciting the victim to send explicit images.
An arrest warrant was granted and Eckhardt was arrested by the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office in Indiana. He was also found to be in possession of child pornography and was charged accordingly.
On June 24, Eckhardt was extradited to DeSoto County Jail. He is charged with using a computer to seduce or solicit a child for unlawful or sexual conduct.