Champaign County Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography

DAYTON –Aaron Pauly, 44, of St. Paris, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to producing child pornography by coercing and threatening juvenile females to send him sexually explicit images of themselves.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division announced the plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.

According to court documents, Pauly created multiple fake accounts on social messenger services, using false names and photographs of others, including a family member, as his profile pictures.  Pauly requested and received nude images and videos from more than 50 juvenile females between October 2014 and August 2017. Pauly located information about the victims’ family members on social media accounts and used this information to coerce the victims. The coercion included threats to tell the victims’ parents and/or schools about the pictures.

One of the victims told her family about the contact and the family reported the activity to law enforcement. A federal grand jury indicted Pauly on March 13, 2018.

“Sexual predators will get information about a victim’s family and use it to pressure the victim into giving the predator what he wants,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “Families should report any inappropriate contact their children receive to law enforcement, and we will continue to prosecute those who exploit our youngest citizens and their families.”

Judge Rose scheduled Pauly’s sentencing for October 12, 2018. Production of child pornography is punishable by at least 15 and up to 30 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, and Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith, who is prosecuting the case.

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