LOUISVILLE, Ky. (December 16, 2022) — On December 13, 2022, the Kentucky State Police (KSP) Electronic Crime Branch and the United States Marshals Service arrested Devon Wade, 22, at a residence in Louisville for charges related to sexual offenses and child sexual abuse material.
Mr. Wade was arrested as the result of an undercover Internet Crimes Against Children investigation. The KSP Electronic Crime Branch began the investigation after discovering the suspect sharing images of child sexual exploitation online.
The investigation resulted in an arrest warrant being issued out of Hopkins County. Equipment used to facilitate the crime was seized and taken to KSP’s forensic laboratory for examination. The investigation is ongoing.
Mr. Wade is currently charged with one count of rape 1st, one count of sodomy 1st, and four counts of use of a minor under the age of 16 in a sexual performance. These charges are Class-B felonies punishable by ten to twenty years in prison. Mr. Wade was lodged in the Jefferson County Detention Center.
The Kentucky Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is comprised of more than twenty-six local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The mission of the ICAC Task Force, created by the United States Department of Justice and administered by the Kentucky State Police, is to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in developing a response to cyber enticement and child sexual abuse material investigations. This support encompasses forensic and investigative components, training and technical assistance, victim services, prevention and community education. The ICAC program was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the internet, the proliferation of child sexual abuse material, and the heightened online activity of predators searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims.
