Former Ohio Education Official Sentenced For Possession Of Child Pornography

COLUMBUS, OHIO – John T. Childs, 48, of Columbus, Ohio was sentenced to six months in prison followed by five years under court supervision, for possessing eleven images of child pornography stored on his home computer. Childs was also ordered to register as a sex offender and allow the court to install monitoring software on his computer. 

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, William Hayes, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Ohio and Michigan, and Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott and members of the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge James L. Graham.   

Childs is the former chief financial officer and chief operating officer for the Ohio Department of Education. He pleaded guilty on April 29, 2013 to one count of possession of child pornography. “At the time he entered his plea of guilty, the defendant admitted to utilizing a peer-to-peer file sharing program to download and view videos of child pornography on the computer located in his home,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Hill wrote in a memorandum filed with the court prior to sentencing. Childs possessed approximately 11 images of child pornography on his desktop computer when HSI and ICAC officers executed a search warrant at his home on October 10, 2012.

Childs’ sentence also includes a requirement that he undergo mental health and sex offender treatment as directed by his probation officer. He will also be required to register as a sex offender in any state where he lives, works or goes to school while on supervised release. Judge Graham ordered him to report to an institution to be designated by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons within 60 days.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.  Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

U.S. Attorney Stewart commended the investigation by HSI agents and ICAC officers, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Hill, who prosecuted the case.