Tell City man faces child exploitation and drug charges after police search

A Tennessee law-enforcement tip sent Tell City police into a child-exploitation investigation that soon widened into suspected drug offenses after officers searched a residence on 11th Street. Investigators identified the suspect as 26-year-old Dalton Schilling of Tell City, and police say the case now includes allegations tied to both online exploitation and narcotics.

According to the Tell City Police Department, the investigation began after authorities in Tennessee alerted local officers that a 16-year-old girl had been contacted through social media by someone believed to be in Tell City. Police said they used subpoenas and other investigative work to identify Schilling as the person involved. Investigators allege he communicated with the juvenile through social media and electronic messaging platforms, repeatedly asked her for explicit images, and later shared those images with other people without her consent.

Police executed search warrants at the 11th Street residence on June 4, 2026. During the search, officers reported finding suspected controlled substances, drug-related evidence and other preliminary evidence tied to the investigation. Local booking information shows Schilling was arrested that same day.

The probable-cause affidavits submitted in the case list a wide range of allegations, including dealing in a controlled substance, promotion of child sex trafficking, dealing in marijuana, child exploitation, dissemination of matter harmful to minors, distribution of an intimate image, intimidation, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. Those allegations have not been resolved in court, and the case remains active as prosecutors and investigators continue to sort through the evidence.

For Perry County residents, the case underscores how quickly a report involving one juvenile and one phone or app can become a broader criminal investigation when digital messages, images and suspected drugs overlap. Indiana public-records guidance says case documents are normally sought through the clerk’s office in the county where the case is being heard. In Tell City, police records are handled by the Tell City Police Records Section at 707 Mozart Street, Tell City, IN 47586.