Porter County, IN Man Charged After Police Find Alleged CSAM

Portage, IN – A 63-year-old Northwest Indiana man is being held without bond after an investigation led police to a Portage home, where detectives allegedly discovered child sexual abuse material on an electronic device.

According to the Portage Police Department, Detective Sgt. Nicole Heuberger received information from Dyer police on Sept. 21 indicating that a Portage resident was possibly in possession of child sexual abuse material, commonly abbreviated as CSAM.

Police said detectives interviewed the original complainant and received a cellphone purportedly belonging to the suspect that allegedly contained CSAM images. The phone was transferred to the Lake County High Tech Crime Unit for forensic analysis Sept. 22.

Investigators received the forensic results Sept. 28 and obtained a search warrant Sept. 30 for a residence in the 600 block of Sixth Street in Portage, located in Porter County.

Detectives executed the warrant Thursday morning, Oct. 1, and contacted 63-year-old David M. Gdowski, according to police.

Authorities said several electronic devices were recovered from the residence. Detectives allegedly viewed CSAM on one device, while the remaining devices were seized for additional forensic examination.

Gdowski was arrested and transported to the Porter County Jail, where police said he was being held without bond.

He has been charged with two counts of possession of child sex abuse material. Police said one is a Level 4 felony involving material depicting a child younger than 12, while the other is a Level 5 felony involving a child younger than 18.

The charges are allegations. Gdowski is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.