Worthington man arrested on child pornography charges

A Worthington man—required to register as a lifetime sex offender due to prior convictions in Florida—found himself behind bars on Sept. 18 in Greene County on three Level 5 felony counts of possession of child pornography with an aggravating factor. 

Bloomington Police Department Det. Kevin Frank arrested 31-year-old Jesse Hunt following an investigation that began July 23. The criminal complaint, according to a probable cause affidavit written by Frank, was from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The submitter of the complainant was Kik Messenger, commonly called Kik. It’s a freeware instant messaging mobile app available and usable on basic computer software such as computers and tablets. It’s also available for smartphones. 

According to the probable cause affidavit, three files from the same IP address were identified as child pornography. Sparklight was identified as the internet provider for the IP address. Through search warrants obtained by Frank, according to the probable cause affidavit, he was able to trace the IP address to a Worthington address where Hunt resides. 

During the investigation, according to the probable cause affidavit, Frank also found that Hunt had prior felony convictions for sexual performance by a child and possession of child pornography, both in Florida. Hunt is also identified as a lifetime sex offender in the State of Florida. 

Kik search warrant results returned images of child pornography, according to the probable cause affidavit. It also returned extensive chat messages. 

On Sept. 18, Frank conducted an interview with Hunt at the Greene County Sheriff’s Department. During the interview, according to the probable cause affidavit, Hunt admitted to viewing illegal material, including child pornography on his cell phone. He alleged he had been viewing the material for over a year. He told Frank his cell phone had child pornography on it. 

While Frank continued talking to Hunt, Indiana State Police Sgt. Pat Deckard processed Hunt’s cell phone. According to the probable cause affidavit, Sgt. Deckard located several hundred child pornography files within a Telegram account on Hunt’s phone. 

Hunt was booked into Greene County Jail where his bond was set at $10,000 surety with 10% cash allowed. 

He is scheduled to appear in Greene Circuit Court on Sept. 23.