In January of 2024, detectives with the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (I.C.A.C.) received multiple cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (N.C.M.E.C) that led to a residence in Lake County. In May of 2024, investigators served an initial search warrant at the residence and seized several electronic devices. Forensic examinations conducted by the ISP Digital Forensics Unit revealed files containing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) on multiple devices. Due to the large amount of evidence that was seized, it took almost a year to complete the analysis of all of the data held on those devices.
On July 12, 2025, Jeffrey Richard Laurinas, 75, of Hobart, IN, was taken into custody for an arrest warrant. Laurinas was transported to the Lake County Jail and is preliminarily being held on the following charges:
- Possession of Child Pornography- Level 5 Felony (4 Counts)
- Possession of Child Pornography- Level 6 Felony (1 Count)
All suspects are presumed to be innocent until/unless proven guilty in court. Assisting with this investigation were the Hobart Police Department, Indiana State Police Lowell Post, Indiana State Police Special Investigations, and Homeland Securities Investigations.
Please visit https://internetcrimesagainstkids.com to learn more about the efforts of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
