Millbrook man charged after police probe child exploitation complaint

A Millbrook man is jailed without bond after police say a complaint about an adult requesting pictures from a 16-year-old led detectives to a child-exploitation case that now has clear warning for River Region families.

Millbrook police Chief P.K. Johnson said the department got the complaint that a 16-year-old male had been asked by an adult male to send pictures. Investigators identified the suspect as 65-year-old David Horn of Millbrook and used a search warrant at Horn’s home on Wednesday to gather additional evidence. Police said detectives then found probable cause that the offense occurred.

Horn was charged with Criminal Solicitation of Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material, a Class B felony. He was being held in the Elmore County Jail with no bond. The case puts a local face on a crime category that often begins with one report from a parent, teen, or other witness, then moves quickly into digital evidence collection, a warrant, and a felony filing.

For parents and guardians, the most immediate lesson in this case is the request itself. Police said the complaint involved an adult asking a teenager for pictures, a pattern that can signal online grooming or solicitation. In practical terms, any unwanted request from an adult for photos, especially when it comes through text, social media, or private messaging, should be treated as serious and reported right away.

State law treats these offenses as felonies. Alabama law classifies certain child sexual abuse material-related offenses as Class B felonies, and it also makes electronic solicitation of a child a Class B felony. That legal framework helps explain why Millbrook police moved from complaint to warrant to arrest in a short span of time.

Families who suspect inappropriate online contact have multiple reporting paths. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says its CyberTipline is the nation’s centralized reporting system for online exploitation of children. Alabama Department of Human Resources says suspected child abuse or neglect should be reported to county DHR or local law enforcement. In a case like this, police say the safest response is to preserve messages, avoid deleting anything, and contact authorities immediately.

The arrest also follows a pattern Millbrook police have seen before. A prior child-exploitation case in 2025 began with a complaint, led to a search warrant, and ended with no-bond detention. For families in Millbrook, Autauga County, and the broader River Region, the message from this case is plain: one prompt report can trigger an investigation before a suspect has time to reach another child.