Lake County- An investigation conducted by members of the Indiana State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) resulted in the arrest of Michael Anthony Prestamer, 32, of Munster. Investigators received more than twenty Cyber Tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) related to a specific online account that had been used for child exploitation. After months of investigation, search warrants for a residence in Munster and a business in Hammond were requested and granted by a judge with the assistance of the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office.
Mr. Prestamer was arrested without incident and transported to the Lake County Jail on Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023. He has been preliminarily charged with Level 5 Felony Child Exploitation (3 Counts) and Level 6 Felony Child Exploitation (3 Counts). Further charges will be considered and decided by the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office.
Agencies assisting in the investigation were members of the Indiana State Police Digital Forensic Unit, Indiana State Police Lowell District Criminal Investigations Division, Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Homeland Security Investigations, Highland Police Department, and the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office.
All persons named in this release are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Anyone having any information related to internet crimes against children are encouraged to contact their local law enforcement agency or make a report to NCMEC at https://report.cybertip.org/
