(Indianapolis, IN)-The Superintendent of the Indiana State Police, Anthony M. Scott, has announced the promotion of First Sergeant Christopher D. Cecil to the rank of Lieutenant. Lieutenant Cecil will serve as the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Section Commander and continue to oversee and coordinate the efforts of the Indiana ICAC Task Force.
Cecil, who is originally from Madisonville, Kentucky, is a 1992 graduate of the Madisonville North-Hopkins High School. Following high school, he served four years of active duty in the United States Marine Corps. In 2000, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude, double-majoring in archaeology and religion and minoring in philosophy from the University of Evansville. He worked briefly as a terrestrial and nautical archaeologist for a cultural resource consulting firm in Maryland. On October 22, 2004, he graduated from the 64th Indiana State Police Recruit Academy and was appointed as a Trooper and assigned to the Indiana State Police Post in Jasper, where he served in the Enforcement Division for three years. In December 2007, Cecil was promoted and reassigned to the Criminal Investigations Division in Jasper as a detective. He also served on the department’s Hostage Crisis Negotiation (HCN) Team.
Later in August 2010, he was promoted and reassigned to the ICAC Unit, Area III, General Headquarters as a detective. In 2012, the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana presented him with a U.S. Attorney’s Award for outstanding contribution to a prosecution resulting in a guilty plea. During his assignment in the ICAC Unit, Cecil earned a Graduate Certificate in Computer Forensics from the University of Central Florida. In May 2013, he received an honorable mention award from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) for his dedication to protecting children and his exemplary performance of duty.
In October 2013, he was promoted to Sergeant and reassigned to the Cyber Crime Unit, Area V, General Headquarters as a digital forensic examiner. In February 2014, the department presented him with a Commendation Award for solving a complex ICAC investigation. He was co-recipient of the 2016 Outstanding Criminal Investigation of the Year Award for his involvement in the investigation of former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle. In May 2017, Cecil graduated from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Leadership Academy. During this assignment, he served as a task force officer assigned to the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
In July 2020, Cecil was promoted to the rank of First Sergeant and appointed Assistant Commander of the Intelligence & Investigative Technologies Section. In that position, he oversaw the digital forensic examiners in the Cyber Crime Unit and the sergeants and detectives in the ICAC Unit. He was also named the Assistant Commander of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. In 2021, the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana presented him with a U.S. Attorney’s Award for outstanding contribution to the prosecution of cyberterrorist and sextortionist Buster Hernandez.
In January 2023, Cecil was reassigned as commander of the ICAC Unit. He was also named the Commander of the Indiana ICAC. During this assignment, Cecil earned a Master of Science in Criminal Justice: Cybercrime Investigations, with High Distinction, from Liberty University. In April 2025, the department presented him with a Commendation Award for outstanding investigative skill, leadership, and ceaseless efforts in the Delphi double homicide investigation. In May 2025, Cecil became certified by the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) as both a cybercrime investigator and a cybercrime examiner.
Cecil, his wife, and two daughters are residents of Hamilton County.
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