In June 2025, an investigator with the Howard County Sheriff’s Office and Internet Crimes
Against Children Task Force began an investigation after receiving a CyberTip Report from the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) pertaining to Child Sex Abuse
Material/Child Exploitation.
The CyberTip Report was generated by Microsoft and included files depicting child sex abuse
material. Through the investigation, it was determined that 67-year-old, Lyle Sanders, of
Kokomo, Indiana was the user suspected of uploading the content.
The morning of 5 February 2026, a search warrant was executed in the 200 block of Lody Lane,
Kokomo. Investigators with the Howard County Sheriff’s Office were assisted by detectives
from the Kokomo Police Department’s Digital Crimes unit with ESD K9 Gelid. During the
search, approximately 20,000 images of child sex abuse material were found on at least one
device.
As a result, Lyle Sanders was taken into custody for 5 counts of Possession of Child Sex Abuse
Material, (Level 5 Felony).
This investigation was conducted by Investigator Kysha Quirk, an affiliated member of the
Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The Indiana ICAC is a
multiagency task force led by the Indiana State Police that investigates and prosecutes persons
who use the internet to sexually exploit or entice children. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators
evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from
ongoing sexual abuse.
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE – 765-456-2020 / FAX – 765-456-2145 DISPATCH – 765-457-1105 / CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATIONS – 765-456-2031 JAIL – 765-456-2026 / RECORDS – 765-456-2024
The Indiana ICAC Task Force encourages Hoosiers to report online exploitation, solicitation,
and enticement-type crimes against children to the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children (NCMEC). The NCMEC website can be accessed through the ICAC Task Force
website. To report a crime with your child as a victim involving the Internet or other electronic
means, please contact your local Indiana law enforcement agency. To learn more about the
efforts of the Indiana ICAC, visit https://internetcrimesagainstkids.com.
The Howard County Sheriff’s Office emphasizes that the filing of the information is merely an
allegation, and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in
court.