A Westfield man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexually exploiting two minors and possession of child sexual abuse material.
Westfield Police Department detectives and the Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force opened an investigation Jan. 24, 2022, into Westfield resident Kevin Troutman after receiving an online tip submitted to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, according to court documents. The tipster stated that they walked in on Troutman, 45, viewing an image of the sexual exploitation of a 4–6-year-old girl, authorities said.
Officers executed a search warrant Jan. 27, 2022, at Troutman’s home in Westfield after an investigation, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, which said that authorities seized numerous electronic devices and data storage media. Authorities said the electronic devices and data storage media were found to contain multiple sexually explicit images or videos of children.
An investigation of Troutman’s cellphone revealed that he had been anonymously searching the internet for child sexual abuse material using an encrypted browser, authorities said. A complete investigation of Troutman’s devices revealed evidence showing Troutman’s sexual exploitation of a child less than 14 years of age and the sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of a child who was less than 6 years of age.
In 1997, Troutman was convicted of vicarious sexual gratification, a Class C felony. Because of his previous felony conviction, Troutman was registered as a sexually violent predator in Indiana at the time of the arrest, authorities said.
“Across nearly three decades, the defendant sexually abused or exploited at least three different children and gratified himself through the exploitation of many more,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “There is no place in our communities for dangerous, repeat child predators. The sentence imposed today shows that our office, HSI, and local child exploitation task force partners will work tirelessly to ensure these heinous offenders are behind bars, where they cannot cause further harm to our children.”
“HSI works with its local, state and federal partners around the clock to protect children from victimization by predators involved with the production, distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago area of operations Sean Fitzgerald. “Because of exceptional efforts by our HSI agents, a previously convicted child sex offender has been sent to federal prison to serve a lengthy sentence, where he will be unable to victimize other vulnerable children.”
Troutman’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker, who ordered that Troutman be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for life following his release from federal prison and pay $10,000 to each victim. Troutman must remain registered as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law, authorities said.
