POLK COUNTY – TBI special agents with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) squad and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, acting on a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), investigated a Benton man, resulting in his indictment and arrest.

In April 2023, agents received a cybertip from the NCMEC that dozens of files believed to be child sexual abuse material had been uploaded into a digital storage cloud over the course of several months. As a result of that investigation, the owner of the account was identified as Rory Frerichs of Polk County. Further investigation identified additional files of child sexual abuse material.

On November 18th, the Polk County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Rory Cullen Frerichs (DOB 02/01/2002) with one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (over 50 images) and one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (over 100 images). On November 22^nd, he was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and booked into the Polk County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

The charges and allegations referenced in this release are merely accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.