INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The investigation into an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department sergeant caught with child pornography is only beginning, the Marion County prosecutor said Thursday.

A judge on Thursday read through the 14 charges — 13 felony charges of child exploitation and a felony count of possession of child pornography — against Javed Richards in a Marion County court as he made his first court appearance.

Prosecutor Ryan Mears told I-Team 8 that the number of charges could grow depending on what they uncover in their investigation.

“This was a preliminary review of the phone. We didn’t do the deep dive into the phone. We didn’t do the deep dive into the laptop computers, and, so, those are all things that we need to go through to get a better sense of what the true scope of everything is,” the Democratic prosecutor said.

Police say Richards was caught trading child porn videos and images at home with others through the messaging app Kik.

Mears says law enforcement caught a break in its investigation that ultimately led to Richards’ arrest.

“You had an individual who was using encrypted emails, encrypted apps, using the VPN (virtual private network) to disguise or conceal their presence on the internet effectively, and, at some point in time for whatever reason, it went from the VPN to the home Wi-Fi spot,” the prosecutor said.

If that hadn’t happen, would Richards being facing criminal charges?

Mears said, “It’s very unlikely. It’s incredibly unlikely, and I think that points to the challenges that people in law enforcement deal with every day in trying to build these cases.”

The prosecutor office’s investigation will try to find out the identity of the people Richards sent child porn to on Kik. If investigators can do that, they’ll tell law enforcement in that area so they can arrest those people.

Richards has paid his $4,000 bond, but he won’t be released from jail until he turns over his passports and four guns.

Previous coverage

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Black Documentary Film Festival returns for its 5^th anniversary this weekend.

The festival kicks off at 6:15 p.m. Friday at the Indy Arts Center at 867 E. 67th St., but that is only one of the two venues being used for this year. The other is the Kan-Kan Cinema Restaurant at 1238 Windsor St. 

The Festival highlights historical figures, social justice movements, and will even highlight filmmakers for their impact on film.

The Spotlight Award, which debuted in 2022, recognizes filmmakers for their outstanding direction and production of documentary films that positively shed light on the Black experience and inspire continued cultural discourse. 

This award is given annually to a filmmaker who displays artistic excellence and dedication to their craft, sharing unseen stories about the Black community.

This year’s Spotlight Award winner, international film producer and director Pemon Rami, will be honored on the festival’s opening night.

The festival runs from Friday evening to Sunday.

For tickets and further information, visit the festival’s website.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Central Indiana will experience a 40° swing over the next few days.

This morning:

Clear skies and chilly temperatures for a second morning in a row, with some areas flirting with the 40s again early this morning.

Thursday:

There are no issues again for the day today. After a cool start, expect sunny skies and warm temperatures. Winds shifting to the east and southeast should allow for slightly warmer temperatures this afternoon compared to the last few days. Highs should get closer to 80° this afternoon.

Thursday night:

Quiet again tonight with mainly clear skies. Temperatures won’t be quite as chilly, with lows dipping down to the low to mid-50s across the state.

Friday:

More of a southerly flow fills in across the state starting on Friday. This will allow for temperatures to return closer to average, topping out into the mid-80s across much of the area. The humidity won’t be super high Friday afternoon, but it will be elevated.

This weekend:

Quiet weather continues into the weekend but will be very hot and humid over the next several days. Look for numbers to flirt with 90° both Saturday and Sunday, with heat indices into the low to mid-90s.

Extended forecast:

High heat looks to continue, at least for the first half of the work week. The hottest day of the week and potentially of the year is coming in on Monday as we top out into the mid-90s with feel-like temperatures closer to the upper 90s. Temperatures will remain well above average through Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. With the high humidity and moisture content in the air, there could be some daily rain chances for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.