Cory Todd Cox, a 38-year-old resident of Noblesville, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison and will face a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to two counts related to the receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
Court documents state that on November 28, 2023, Cox sent and received several images depicting child sexual abuse through text messages. These images involved prepubescent minors. A search conducted by Noblesville Police Officers on December 6, 2023, led to the discovery of three cellular devices at Cox’s home. The devices contained evidence that Cox used them for transmitting, viewing, and storing illegal material. He also admitted to having a Dropbox account with approximately five videos and thirty-one images involving child sexual abuse.
At the time of his arrest, Cox was already on probation for an offense committed in 2017 and was listed as a registered sex offender. His prior convictions include sexual misconduct with a minor in 2007, sexual battery in 2008, and child solicitation in 2017 when he attempted to solicit sex from a thirteen-year-old using Facebook Messenger.
“Despite his history as a dangerous contact sex offender, the defendant chose to reoffend. His actions ensure that images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children will circulate in perpetuity, which unequivocally contributes to the trauma experienced by the abused children depicted in his collection,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “He has no place in civilized society and will spend the next 15 years in federal prison where he belongs, thanks to the important work of the U.S. Secret Service and Noblesville Police Department.”
Special Agent in Charge Ike Barnes from the U.S. Secret Service’s Indianapolis Field Office commented: “The U.S. Secret Service is dedicated to protecting children from sexual predators and will vigorously pursue repeat offenders. This defendant’s lengthy criminal history and propensity to reoffend is beyond disturbing,” he said. “I commend the work of the Noblesville Police Department, our partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana for bringing this man to justice.”
The investigation was conducted by both the U.S. Secret Service and Noblesville Police Department. The sentence was issued by U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Haney and MaryAnn T. Mindrum prosecuted this case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child exploitation online by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies so they can better locate suspects and help victims (https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood).
Victims or those aware of exploitation are encouraged to contact their local police department or find resources through Project Safe Childhood’s website.
