BEDFORD – June 23rd, at 8:04 p.m., Bedford Police officer Jarret Tedrow was dispatched to the 16th Street Burger King on accounts of two men confronting an alleged pedophile.
Upon arrival, Tedrow was met by three men, 43-year-old Christopher Abercrombie of Indianapolis and 53-year-old Donald Clifford of Bowling Green, who informed Officer Tedrow of their involvement in EPIC (Exposing Predators of Innocent Children).
EPIC is a group dedicated to exposing potential offenders against juveniles throughout Indiana. Abercrombie explained that their group uses a decoy to expose individuals who may prey on juveniles.
Also present was a male later identified as 58-year-old Brian K. Lynch, who admitted to speaking with a 13-year-old girl online. When asked about the conversation content, Lynch admitted to talking about “sex and stuff…screwing and stuff,” saying that he was “just leading it on.” Lynch further noted that he had not made plans to meet the girl, but had informed her of his intent to be at the JayC Food Plus grocery store and Smoker Friendly. The two EPIC members were able to provide screenshots of conversations between the decoy 13-year-old and Brian Lynch.
Lynch drove a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado pickup to the scene. Lynch explained the vehicle was a work truck and belonged to his workplace. The driver’s window was down, and Officer Tedrow was able to detect the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. When mentioned to Lynch, he noted that a joint could most likely be found inside.
At the officer’s request, Lynch consented to a search of the pickup at which point Sergeant Bade conducted a free-air sniff of the vehicle using his canine Zazu. Zazu confirmed the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle.
A search of the pickup yielded various forms of drug paraphernalia, including two hand-rolled marijuana cigarettes, five grams of crystal meth, and a prescription drug. Lynch was taken into custody and transported to the Lawrence County Jail on counts of the following:
- Possession of methamphetamine
- Possession of marijuana with a prior conviction
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Possession of a legend drug
Lynch has a previous drug conviction for possession of meth in Orange County. All evidence was collected and photographed, and Lynch’s phone was collected for further investigation regarding the original reason for dispatch.
