INDIANA — The Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office has been recognized at the federal level for its exceptional efforts in combating child sexual exploitation.
On Friday, May 15, 2026, Lawrence County Prosecutor Samuel C. Arp II traveled to Indianapolis to accept the prestigious U.S. Attorney Award for “Project Safe Childhood Shield of Innocence.”
Thomas E. Wheeler II, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, presented the distinction.
The federal award recognizes the multi-agency collaboration and relentless local-to-federal teamwork that led to the successful conviction of Bryan Lee Fish, a predatory offender from Mitchell, Indiana.
The Case: U.S. v. Bryan Fish
The joint investigation began following the arrest of Bryan Lee Fish, 33, by local authorities in 2023. While the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office initially filed local charges against Fish, investigators quickly realized the shocking scope of his crimes required a broader legal reach.
Federal court documents later revealed that between June 2022 and September 2023, Fish had severely abused three young children under the age of 12 who were entrusted to his custody, photographed the abuse, and actively distributed the images online. A subsequent raid on his Mitchell residence uncovered two cell phones filled with targeted folders of the victims, alongside more than 3,000 files of child sexual abuse material involving other unidentified minors, infants, and toddlers.
Recognizing that federal guidelines could guarantee a harsher, ironclad penalty, Arp’s office partnered with the FBI and federal prosecutors to transfer the case to the federal court system.
The strategy secured maximum accountability. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt sentenced Fish to 50 years in federal prison without the possibility of parole, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
“Boots on the Ground” and a Warning Against Vigilantes
In a statement following the ceremony, Prosecutor Arp emphasized that the historic 50-year sentence would have been impossible without the exhaustive work of Sergeant Pat Deckard and Detective Robert Whyte of the Indiana State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, alongside the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department.
Arp also utilized the award presentation to issue a stern warning regarding how child exploitation cases must be handled, drawing a hard line against civilian “predator hunter” groups.
“I want to be absolutely clear on a critical point: a conviction of this magnitude would never have occurred had our office partnered with unofficial, vigilante-style ‘catch a predator’ groups,” Arp stated. “Relying on highly trained law enforcement professionals and lawful investigative procedures is the only way to build an airtight case. It guarantees that predatory offenders cannot exploit legal technicalities to escape justice.”
Arp further noted that crucial federal and state ICAC resources—including specialized tech forensic tools—are legally withheld from any county that coordinates with or validates civilian vigilante groups, as their unregulated methods frequently compromise evidence admissibility in court.
Though Arp accepted the plaque on behalf of the county, he dedicated the recognition to the detectives, deputies, office staff, and federal agents working behind the scenes.
“Our message to predators remains clear,” Arp concluded. “If you target the children of Lawrence County, we will use every resource at the local, state, and federal level to find you, remove you from our neighborhoods, and secure absolute justice.”
