PENDLETON — The 36-count indictment charging Pendleton resident Jeffrey P. Kramer, 48, with human trafficking and possession of child pornography was dismissed in Madison County Circuit Court 6.
The case was refiled in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis.
Dan Koppes, assistant prosecutor in Madison County, said the decision to transfer the case to federal jurisdiction had to do with the penalty that could be applied if Kramer were convicted in the local court.
“He could have been sentenced to a maximum of 16 years,” Koppes said. “Under the federal guidelines he could get a much longer term.”
Koppes said state guidelines meant several sentences could be ordered to be served concurrently rather than consecutively.
Kramer was ordered released from local custody Nov. 26 and was immediately transferred to federal custody.
He was transported to Indianapolis by deputies from the U.S. Marshal’s Office.
Kramer was arrested by Indiana State Police in April and had asked for a speedy trial. His trial had been reset three times after he initially asked for the speedy trial. The most recent trial date of Nov. 21 was set to be postponed until March before the federal court stepped in.
Kramer became a suspect in January after detectives received an anonymous tip about child pornography, according to a press release provided by ISP in April.
That investigation led to the filing of the 36-count indictment against Kramer after the probe led police to images of a girl under the age of 18 from another state.
Police said Kramer allegedly met the girl on an online dating site. According to the document released by ISP, Kramer allegedly began grooming the girl on the internet for a sexual encounter at a later date.
Koppes said the local court dismissed the case without prejudice, which means the case could be refiled if something changes with the federal court decision to prosecute.
