Former Boy Scout leader facing child porn charges

A former Plainfield Boy Scout leader was arrested Monday on charges of possessing child pornography, a statement from the United States Attorney’s office said.

Thomas M. Franks, an assistant scout leader with Plainfield Troop 304, was taken into custody in his home after police recovered more than 200 images of child pornography on a computer and flash drive found in the residence.

The investigation into Franks, the release said, started on Nov. 2, when the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a pornographic image being uploaded to an email account that was traced back to a computer in Franks’ Plainfield home.

Franks, police said, had been using incest chatrooms for nearly four years, and he would portray himself in the chatrooms as a father of 6- and 8-year-old daughters. The 55-year-old would receive sexually explicit images and videos of young kids from other people in the chatrooms.

The majority of the files Franks received, police said, were of prepubescent girls engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

Patrick Sterrett, scout executive at Crossroads of America Council, the supervisory council of troops in 25 Central Indiana counties, told The Indianapolis Star in a phone conversation that Franks had been removed from Troop 304 and placed on an ineligible volunteer list. Sterrett also said he'd been in contact with the U.S. Attorney's Office and IMPD detectives and there was nothing at this point leading investigators to believe sexual misconduct occurred within Troop 304.

"His actions do not represent the values and ideals of our organization, youth members or adult leaders," an emailed statement from the council said. "The Boy Scouts of America takes the protection of youth very seriously and our highest priority continues to be the safety of our members through numerous procedures to prevent child abuse."

One neighbor told The Indianapolis Star that he hadn't had many interactions with Franks, and didn't think many people on the block had.

"Our children deserve better from the people we place in positions of trust," said United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler in a statement. "Those who chose to prey on the youngest of our citizens will be held strictly accountable and face the full wrath of federal prosecution."

Franks is currently in federal custody and had his initial appearence in federal court Tuesday afternoon.

Call Star reporter Michael Anthony Adams at (317) 444-6123. Follow him on Twitter: @MichaelAdams317.