FWPD nabs two men for child porn; internet fuels growing scourge

ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. --The descriptions are revolting.

And if you read the probable cause too late in the day, the words and images might trouble your dreams.

Because of the internet, child pornography has exploded. Childlight Global Child Safety Institute, based in London, UK, reports one in nine U.S. men are offenders, a shocking statistic. 

An arrest warrant was issued this week for Sean Loren Hadley, accused of downloading child porn on to his phone at the downtown library.

The Institute’s 2023 report also indicates that, globally, one in eight children have appeared in “non-consensual image offenses” and were subject to “online solicitation;” 3.5% experienced sexual extortion.

Each year, 300 million children “are subjected to sexual exploitation and abuse,” the report said. 

Just for comparison, there are about 73 million children in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census. That would mean about nine million children, 18 and under, are affected by this pandemic.

The Fort Wayne Police Department this week arrested two people accused of various counts of child exploitation.

Sean Hadley, 61, who lives at the Rescue Mission downtown, according to the probable cause affidavit written by Det. Charles Volz, was caught downloading child porn in September at the downtown library.

Volz was assigned the case from the Internet Crimes Against Children task force and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and was given Hadley’s yahoo email address.

Volz got a thumb drive of the library footage showing Hadley downloading images of child erotica onto his phone, the cord that connected his phone to the computer visible along with tattoos on his left forearm and his face, court documents said. 

According to the Indiana Department of Correction, Sean Loren Hadley with the same birth date, has served two child exploitation-related prison sentences already, one for child molesting and another for sexual misconduct with a minor, among traffic offenses and marijuana possession charges that normally wouldn’t warrant a second look.

FWPD’s Sgt. John Helmsing located 175 animated (CGI) images and 46 images of ‘clear cut’ child pornography on Hadley’s phone, but advised there were even more child erotica images.

Volz looked at a few of those to give him an idea of the evidence. There were photos of young girls - a naked 8-year old, a naked 6-year old, wearing a crown, in a suggestive position, another 6-year old in a sex act with a man behind her and a 5-year old performing a sex act with a man, court documents said.

Hadley was charged with two counts of Level 5 child exploitation, child pornography.

Hadley appears on TheMostWanted.net for failure to appear for a driving with a suspended license.

An additional warrant for his arrest was issued Wednesday, court documents said.

Another 61-year old man was charged this week, after being warned in June 2024 by two detectives from the FWPD’s crimes against persons unit that they would issue a search warrant if any further tips came in from NCMEC or other child advocate groups about his online child porn activity.

FWPD Crimes against Persons Unit received tips about Richard Konger's online activities.

It may have come as no surprise that further tips came through, the last one in February. By this time, three detectives were in on the investigation, former homicide detective R.J. Sutphin, Charles Volz and long-time sex crimes investigator, John Chambers.

Konger was downloading on to his Google email images of boys between the ages of six and 16 in various sexualized situations. Initially denying any criminal activity, Konger then refused to speak to Sutphin. 

Konger was also posing as a 14-year-old boy to lure 13 year old boys to exchange photos with him, court documents said.

He was charged with two Level 5 counts for child exploitation, two Level 5 counts for child solicitation, four counts for possession of child pornography (one Level 5 and three Level 6), and two misdemeanor counts for inappropriate communication with a child over a computer.

He is being held at the Allen County Jail in lieu of $80,000 bail. His next scheduled hearing in Allen Superior Court is June 2.

According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, a federal agency, child pornography offenses have increased by 2.9% since 2019. 

In 2023, more than 1400 cases were reported to USSC, but that doesn’t take into account state and local cases.

Here are some of the agency’s statistics:

47.3% of individuals sentenced for child pornography were sentenced for trafficking child pornography; 

43.9% for possessing child pornography; and 8.8% for receiving child pornography. 

98.8% were men. 

77.1% were White, 12.8% were Hispanic, 5.8% were Black, and 4.3% were other races. 

Their average age was 41. 

96.2% were United States citizens. 

71.2% had little or no prior criminal history 

The top districts for individuals sentenced for child pornography were: 

• Eastern District of Virginia (55); 

• Southern District of Texas (52);

• Middle District of Florida (50)

• Southern District of Florida (48); 

• Western District of Texas (44, tie); 

• Eastern District of Missouri (44, tie).