Columbus Man Pleads Guilty to Creating Child Pornography by Sexually Abusing 10-Year-Old Girl

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Eric A. Zevely, 34, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to producing child pornography.

Zevely was one of six Central Ohio men charged recently who made online contact with each other and others who shared, or whom they believed to share, their sexual interest in minors, incest and child pornography.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Steve Francis, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Westerville Police Chief Joseph Morbitzer, Todd Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and other members of the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force announced the plea entered into today before Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.

Zevely was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2018.

According to court documents, Zevely engaged in thousands of communications with numerous other individuals in response to ads placed on Craigslist.

Zevely made contact with undercover officers from two separate task forces in response to online advertisements looking for like-minded individuals interested in “incest taboo young” sexual conduct.

A search of Zevely’s phone revealed explicit photographs of his sexual abuse of a 10-year-old female.

Producing child pornography is a federal crime punishable by a range of 15 to 30 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the federal and local crimes against children task forces, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Heather A. Hill and S. Courter Shimeall, who are prosecuting the case.

# # #