Elkhart County – On November 12, members of the Indiana State Police Crimes Against Children Unit (CAC) joined forces with local agencies to arrest a Goshen man who is accused of the sexual abuse of a 13 year-old Missouri girl.
The coordinated effort between the Indiana State Police CAC, the Goshen Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Office, led to the arrest of Mikol Aaron Aspinwall, 54. Aspinwall was arrested at his Goshen home located at 718 S. Main Street on a bench warrant that had been issued through a Missoula Montana Court for felony sexual abuse of children under the age of 16. Officers on scene also executed a search warrant of his residence that had been obtained by the state police.
CAC Trooper Gretchen Smith led the Indiana investigation of Aspinwall working as a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). Smith said she received information on Aspinwall from her ICAC counterpart, Chris Shermer, from the Missoula City Police Department. Smith commented that the sharing of information in cases like this is both a necessity and crucial in the fight for our children since many internet crimes cross state lines.
Aspinwall was taken into custody and is currently being held at the Elkhart County Jail awaiting extradition to Montana. The State Police CAC investigation is ongoing.
Learn more:
Indiana State Police Cyber Crime - http://www.in.gov/isp/3234.htm
ICAC Task Force - https://www.icactaskforce.org/Pages/Home.aspx
*All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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