North Carolina man arrested in Wood County indicted for sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced today that a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Raymond Thomas Jordan, age 39, of North Carolina with sexual exploitation of a minor and receipt or distribution of child pornography.

According to the criminal complaint filed in this matter, on January 15, 2020, an Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper conducted a traffic stop on a semi-truck pulling a trailer on Interstate 80 in Wood County. The defendant was observed driving the vehicle and next to him was a minor who appeared very young. Both the defendant and the minor provided a false date of birth to the Trooper. It was later learned that the minor was under the age of 18 and a runaway from the State of California. Due to this fact, a decision was made to transport both the defendant and the minor to the OSHP Bowling Green Post for further investigation.

According to the criminal complaint, the defendant admitted to possession of child pornography. During a search of the defendant’s vehicle, 21 electronic devices were seized. An investigation into the defendant’s personal cell phone and electronic devices discovered numerous files containing child pornography, including images of the minor found in the defendant’s vehicle.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation was conducted by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the U.S. Secret Service. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tracey B. Tangeman.