November 10, 2024 – INDIANAPOLIS – Joshua Sims, 38, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to fifty-four and a half years in federal prison, followed by supervised release for the rest of his life, after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, possession of child sexual abuse material, and committing a sex offense while required to register as a sex offender. Sims was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to the victim.

On May 1, 2006, Sims was convicted of Child Molesting in Dekalb County, Indiana, and was sentenced to seven years in prison. As a result of his conviction, Sims was required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. After he was first released from prison, Sims repeatedly failed to register as a sex offender over the next twelve years. He was convicted of failing to register as a sex offender and sentenced to additional time in prison three separate times. He was convicted of several other felonies as well, including strangulation, battery, and criminal confinement.

According to court documents, between February 23 and March 7, 2023, Sims was responsible for a child under the age of two years old. Sims forced the toddler to engage in sexually explicit conduct recorded himself sexually abusing the child. Sims also forced a relative who was under his care, custody, and control watch Sims sexually abuse the toddler. Sims sent videos and images of himself sexually abusing the toddler to others over the internet.

When investigators arrested Sims, they recovered and were able to access the data stored on his smartphone. Investigators recovered more than 5,000 images and 300 videos of children being sexually abused and raped, some depicting children as young as toddlers as well as depictions of children being subjected to bestiality and sadomasochistic conduct.

"Undeterred by multiple prison sentences, this pedophile subjected a toddler to horrific sexual abuse, and trafficked in recordings of children being sexually traumatized for his own sick gratification," said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. "We must do all we can to protect our children from sexual predators, including aggressive federal prosecution and imprisonment. Children are safer today, thanks to our partners at the U.S. Secret Service, IMPD, the outstanding Indiana ICAC Task Force, and our federal prosecutor, because this dangerous criminal will almost certainly spend the rest of his days behind federal prison walls."

The U.S. Secret Service, IMPD, and the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case.

The Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force 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. Visit internetcrimesagainstkids.com to learn more about their efforts. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

Source: DOJ Release