Youngstown man charged for sharing images of young children being sexually assaulted

A Youngstown man was charged in federal court for sharing images of young children being sexually assaulted.

Daniel B. Fleischer, 36, was charged with one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography.

Fleischer used his Kik account, accessed by his cell phone, to receive, distribute and possess child pornography, including images of young children being raped and sexually assaulted, according to court documents.

Law enforcement officials searched Fleischer’s home on Weston Avenue on March 28. Fleischer told police he viewed “hundreds of child pornography images” that depicted “young” boys and girls, according to court documents.

“These are cases with real victims, children whose lives will be forever changed because adults assaulted and violated them,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “We will continue to work to prosecute those who re-victimize these children by sharing and downloading these images.”

This case is being investigated by the FBI, Ohio BCI and the Youngstown Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Sullivan.

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 violations.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

A charge 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.