Two Ohio Men Sentenced to Combined 62 Years in Prison for Sexual Crimes Against Children

CLEVELAND and AKRON, Ohio – The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced enforcement actions for Title 18 violations involving exploitation and abuse of children and child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). These cases are separate and not related. U.S. District Court Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan imposed the sentences.

Jordan Dodd, 24, of Jefferson, Ohio, was sentenced to 600 months (50 years) in prison and a lifetime of supervised release after imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan. In February, Dodd pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and conspiracy to produce child pornography. Judge Brennan imposed the sentence July 24. Court documents show that in April 2024 while Dodd was incarcerated on an unrelated matter, he began an online relationship with an adult female. He conspired with her to take sexually explicit photographs of an infant she had in her care and send those photographs to him while he was still incarcerated.  In a separate investigation which began in September 2023, Dodd was found to have possessed digital devices with images that contained CSAM, with at least one image involving a prepubescent minor under the age of 12.

Michael Monroe James, 28, of Clinton, Ohio, was sentenced to 151 months in prison (more than 12 years) after he pleaded guilty in March to receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of child pornography. He was also ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $7,500 in restitution. Judge Brennan imposed the sentence July 21. Court documents show that in June 2024, James was engaging in sexually explicit and violent communications with an undercover agent purporting to be a pregnant 11-year-old girl using the Whisper social media app. During a search of James’ electronic devices, investigators found more than 700 files of CSAM involving infants or of a sadistic nature. The defendant was also found to have created artificial intelligence-generated nude photos of other minors.

The FBI Cleveland Division conducted the investigations for both cases.

Each case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel for the Northern District of Ohio.

These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

To report child sexual abuse, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.