CROWN POINT — A 60-year-old Crown Point man was arrested Tuesday following an investigation into suspected child sexual abuse material involving online activity traced to his residence and electronic devices, according to Indiana State Police.
John Jeffrey Smolinski, 60, was taken into custody on October 27, 2026, after investigators executed a search warrant at a residence in the 9100 block of Lee Place in Crown Point.
The arrest followed an investigation by the Indiana State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
According to state police, the investigation began after the United States Secret Service received multiple CyberTipline reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The reports involved activity associated with Google accounts that investigators traced to Smolinski’s residence and electronic devices.
The case was subsequently transferred to Indiana State Police for further investigation.
During the execution of the search warrant, investigators seized multiple electronic devices from the residence. Those devices will undergo forensic examinations by the Indiana State Police Digital Forensics Unit.
Smolinski was transported to the Lake County Jail, where he was preliminarily booked on five felony counts:
- Three counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material, Level 4 Felony.
- Two counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material, Level 6 Felony.
State police indicated that additional charges could be considered by the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office depending on the results of the forensic examinations.
The investigation involved assistance from the United States Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Lake County Sheriff’s Department.
The investigation remains ongoing.
All suspects are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
