Rootstown man charged with child pornography violations

 Christopher T. Fowler, 47, of Rootstown Township, was charged with receiving, distributing and possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony.

Fowler knowingly received and distributed numerous computer files which contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. This took place between June and December 2016, according to the indictment

Fowler also possessed three micro-SD cards, each of which contained child pornography, according to the indictment.     

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 record, 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.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Sullivan. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  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.