INDIANAPOLIS- Bryan Lee Fish, 33, of Mitchell, Indiana, has been sentenced to 50 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after pleading guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, between June 2022 and September 2023, Fish sexually abused three children under the age of 12, including a toddler, photographed the abuse, and distributed the images online. The victims, all related to Fish, were in his custody and care at the time.
On September 29, 2023, the Indiana State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received alerts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating that an X (formerly known as Twitter) account linked to Fish was sharing newly produced child sexual abuse material. A search of his residence uncovered two cell phones containing folders labeled with the victims’ names, explicit images of the children, and more than 3,000 files of child sexual abuse material involving other unidentified minors, including infants and toddlers, as well as CGI and Anime.
Following his arrest, another relative disclosed that Fish had sexually abused her as a child, beginning at age five.
“This predator not only exploited three young children entrusted to his care, but he also preserved and shared that abuse. Distributing these images is especially insidious because it fuels further exploitation, encourages other offenders to create more material through abuse, and ensures the victims are haunted by the knowledge that their worst experiences live on indefinitely for predators’ gratification,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “I am deeply grateful to the ICAC Task Force, NCMEC, and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable in our communities and bring the most heinous offenders to justice.”
“Children should be nurtured and cherished, not victimized and exploited by deranged adults. Let this sentence be a warning to all child sexual predators: You will be caught, and you will be punished for your crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Ike Barnes, of the U.S. Secret Service’s Indianapolis Field Office. “The U.S. Secret Service is committed to using its resources to protecting children from this type of abuse and to pursuing their abusers. Thank you to our state and federal law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Indiana for bringing justice in this case.”
“Child exploitation is among the most heinous and damaging crimes we investigate, and this abhorrent conduct represents a profound betrayal of basic human decency,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “This 50-year sentence reflects the seriousness of his offenses and ensures he will remain far from any child he could victimize. The FBI is relentless in pursuing offenders who exploit the vulnerable, and we will bring every tool we have to bear to identify them, stop them, and deliver justice for their victims. The message is simple: if you harm a child, we will find you, stop you, and hold you fully accountable.”
“This investigation stands as a powerful testament to Indiana ICAC’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding vulnerable children and bringing offenders to justice,” said Lieutenant Christopher Cecil, commander of the Indiana State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The U.S. Secret Service, FBI, Indiana State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, and Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys MaryAnn T. Mindrum and Carolyn Haney, who prosecuted this case.
This investigation was conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, 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 https://www.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.
If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact your local police department. Resources for victims of child exploitation can be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood