Staff Report

Adam Wade Kessie

WARSAW — A Columbia City man was recently arrested after possessing and distributing child pornography on multiple occasions through a messaging application.

Adam Wade Kessie, 45, 400 S. Oak St. Lot 3, Columbia City, is charged with four counts of child exploitation, all level 4 felonies; and four counts of possession of child pornography, all level 5 felonies.

On April 21, 2021, a detective with the Indiana State Police received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about child pornography possession. The reporting electronic service provider (ESP) was Kik, a messaging and chat application. An Internet Protocol (IP) address was recovered as being used to upload and share files of child pornography between Feb. 18, 2021, and Feb. 20, 2021. The IP address geo-located to Albion.

According to court documents, there were 28 files that were uploaded/shared with another user or group of users. The files were videos of apparent child pornography.

On June 21, 2021, the ISP detective received search warrant results from Kik. Chat logs detailed 65 unique instances where the reported account disseminated files of apparent child pornography to both individual Kik users and group chats. Chat logs also detailed 31 unique instances where the reported account received files of apparent child pornography from other individual Kik users and group chats.

On Aug. 13, 2021, detectives discovered the wireless Internet signal used to distribute the images belonged to a business. The business’s name is redacted in court documents. The signal was password-protected and not available to the general public, indicating the person who used the business’s Internet to upload the images knew the password and was possibly a past or present employee.

Around 2 a.m. Aug. 16, 2021, a vehicle pulled into the business’s parking lot and parked. It was noted that some of the uploads of child pornography occurred after regular business hours.

On Sept. 28, 2021, an ISP detective received subpoena results from CenturyLink and determined the suspect was in Kosciusko County.

On Oct. 19, 2021, the ISP detective was contacted by another ISP detective about a cyber tip from the NCMEC. Multiple IP addresses were recovered as being used to upload and share files of child pornography between June 24, 2021, and Aug. 1, 2021. At that time, Kik reported there were 41 total files that were uploaded/shared with another user or group of users. The files were videos of apparent child pornography.

On Oct. 20, 2021, detectives discovered that Kessie was employed by the business where the inappropriate content was uploaded.

On Oct. 28, 2021, detectives received results from a search warrant on Kik. Thirty-two files of apparent child pornography were found, as well as text logs indicating thousands of instances where the user sent images of child pornography to various Kik users.

On Dec. 8, 2021, a search warrant on Google showed online activity from the user that included the Warsaw, Pierceton, and Columbia City area.

On April 19, 2022, a search warrant was granted through the Whitley County Circuit Court for Kessie and his vehicle. Kessie was interviewed the next day by officers.

Kessie said he was previously employed by the business for about eight years and was a key holder. He said he would access the business’s Internet. Kessie’s cellphone provider also matched the provider of an IP address Kik reported was used to upload some of the files.

When asked about child pornography possession, Kessie said it was a “demon for a long time” and that he “knew it was wrong.” He confirmed he would share child pornography while at the business because he “would just get bored at work.” Kessie said he only shared the content in Kosciusko County via Kik.

Kessie told detectives the last time he viewed child pornography was shortly before he left the business, which was about six to seven months prior to the interview. He said he started watching it out of curiosity after being exposed to child pornography a couple years ago. Initially, he said child pornography did not arouse him, but later said it did arouse him “a little bit.”

During a search of Kessie’s residence, officers found a pair of children’s underwear underneath Kessie’s bed. Kessie said he found the underwear at a laundry mat during the time he was sharing child pornography via Kik.

At the end of the interview, Kessie wrote a short letter to the victims depicted in the videos. He wrote, “I’m really sorry for the things I have done. I hope everything in your life turns out the best it can be.”

The children referred to in court documents all appeared to be under the age of 12.

Kessie was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on April 20, with a $50,250 surety and cash bond. As part of his bond conditions, Kessie cannot leave the state of Indiana without prior written authorization from the Kosciusko County Courts.