Claypool Man Faces Three Child Pornography Charges
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
CLAYPOOL - Police Wednesday seized alleged pornographic materials from a Claypool residence and arrested a man on various related charges.
John Kent Surface, 48, of 101 Warner Drive #9, Claypool, is charged with exhibiting obscene matter under 16 years of age, participating in obscene performance under 16 years of age and dissemination of matter harmful to minors, all Class D felonies. He is being held in the Kosciusko County Jail on $25,000 bond.
According to the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, information received from a neighbor led them to seek a search warrant for Surface's residence. During execution of the search warrant, police seized child pornography, a computer, cameras, computer disks and sex-related books. Surface was also connected to the Internet, but the extent of its use is unknown at this time.
Detective Lt. Sam Whitaker of the KCSD said that the 30 to 40 rolls of processed film confiscated included pictures of young girls taken at various locations throughout the county. Many of the pictures appeared to have been taken from inside Surface's car at playgrounds and in store parking lots.
Police said Surface was convicted of child molesting in Whitley County and served a prison term for that offense.
In the case for which Surface was arrested Wednesday, the charges include that Surface allegedly "did knowingly or intentionally engage in, participate in, manage, produce, sponsor, present, exhibit, photograph, film or videotape an obscene performance ... depicting or describing sexual conduct involving a person who is or appears to be under 16 years of age."
Also, the information noted in court documents alleges that Surface "did knowingly or intentionally disseminate matter to a minor, which matter is harmful to minors and did display matter that is harmful to minors in an area to which minors have visual, auditory or physical access, when each minor was not accompanied by a parent or guardian."
Among the state's witnesses in this case are three minors, whose identities are not revealed to the public.
Assisting in the investigation was the Kosciusko County Prosecutor's Office. [[In-content Ad]]
CLAYPOOL - Police Wednesday seized alleged pornographic materials from a Claypool residence and arrested a man on various related charges.
John Kent Surface, 48, of 101 Warner Drive #9, Claypool, is charged with exhibiting obscene matter under 16 years of age, participating in obscene performance under 16 years of age and dissemination of matter harmful to minors, all Class D felonies. He is being held in the Kosciusko County Jail on $25,000 bond.
According to the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, information received from a neighbor led them to seek a search warrant for Surface's residence. During execution of the search warrant, police seized child pornography, a computer, cameras, computer disks and sex-related books. Surface was also connected to the Internet, but the extent of its use is unknown at this time.
Detective Lt. Sam Whitaker of the KCSD said that the 30 to 40 rolls of processed film confiscated included pictures of young girls taken at various locations throughout the county. Many of the pictures appeared to have been taken from inside Surface's car at playgrounds and in store parking lots.
Police said Surface was convicted of child molesting in Whitley County and served a prison term for that offense.
In the case for which Surface was arrested Wednesday, the charges include that Surface allegedly "did knowingly or intentionally engage in, participate in, manage, produce, sponsor, present, exhibit, photograph, film or videotape an obscene performance ... depicting or describing sexual conduct involving a person who is or appears to be under 16 years of age."
Also, the information noted in court documents alleges that Surface "did knowingly or intentionally disseminate matter to a minor, which matter is harmful to minors and did display matter that is harmful to minors in an area to which minors have visual, auditory or physical access, when each minor was not accompanied by a parent or guardian."
Among the state's witnesses in this case are three minors, whose identities are not revealed to the public.
Assisting in the investigation was the Kosciusko County Prosecutor's Office. [[In-content Ad]]