Columbus man gets 27 years for sexually exploiting child in his care

INDIANAPOLIS - Andrew Wade Case, 39, of Columbus, was sentenced on Tuesday, September 8, to 27 years and three months in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, as well as distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material.

According to the indictment, on December 19, 2024, Case forced a child in his custody under the age of 12 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a four-minute video and also distributed other child sex material to individuals over a peer-to-peer network. 

When investigators searched his home, they found the child living in severely neglected conditions, sleeping on the floor with insects, and showing signs of untreated lice.   

The convict's cell phone revealed over 600 images and videos depicting prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. 

The U.S. Secret Service and the Indiana State Police Internet Crimes Against Children investigated the case. U.S. District Court Judge James P. Hanlon imposed the sentence.