Columbus man arrested on child exploitation charges

COLUMBUS, Ind. (WISH) — A Columbus man was arrested Monday on child exploitation charges following a search warrant at his home in Bartholomew County, Indiana State Police say.

Detective Jason Duncan and ISP- Versailles Post began an investigation in August 2022 after a cyber tip was received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

After nearly 10 months of investigation, investigators executed a search warrant at a home on Poshard Drive Monday morning in Columbus, a release said Tuesday.

Additional evidence was collected during the execution of the search warrant, which led officers to arrest 29-year-old Joshua Johnson.

Johnson was taken into custody and is being held at the Bartholomew County Jail on preliminary charges of child exploitation-dissemination of child pornography and child exploitation-possession of child pornography.