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Press Release

Registered sex offender sentenced to 35 years in prison for exchanging videos & images of child torture for child sexual abuse material

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A registered sex offender was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 420 months in prison for possessing and distributing images and videos depicting the torture, mutilation and murder of children.

Jeremiah Morrison, 38, of Columbus, obtained the material on the dark web and traded it for images and videos of sexual abuse of young children.

“The horrors in the files that Morrison collected, viewed, possessed, distributed and discussed on the dark web are so devoid of humanity, it is truly hard to put into words. The abhorrent content he sought included child mutilation and death, sadistic and masochistic torture of babies and toddlers, infants subjected to anguish and agony, all for the sexual gratification of sexually deviant individuals like Morrison,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “We cannot allow individuals like Morrison to remain in society. He’s a danger to society and should be imprisoned. May today’s sentencing provide justice for the victims and their families.”

The Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received information in April 2023 related to Morrison uploading child pornography.

While executing a search warrant in June 2023, investigators discovered Morrison’s cell phone contained 3,000 images and 900 videos of child sexual abuse material that generally depicted prepubescent children, toddlers or infants engaged in sex acts with adults. The images and videos depicted the sexual assault of infants and children under 6 years old.

In addition to the child sexual abuse material recovered on the device, investigators also discovered numerous images and videos depicting the torture, mutilation and killing of children. Morrison would obtain these videos to trade with others in order to collect child sexual abuse material for himself.

Morrison has been convicted of crimes against children two other times, including a 2012 conviction for filming an 11-year-old boy under a bathroom stall divider at the Columbus Metropolitan Library.

Morrison was indicted and arrested on the most recent charges in September 2023, and has been in custody since. He pleaded guilty in April 2024. He was sentenced to remain under court supervision for life after completion of his prison sentence. He was also sentenced to pay restitution to victims of at least $3,000 per victim. The number of victims and actual restitution will be determined by the Court.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie M. Salazar, Homeland Security Investigations Detroit (HSI); Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and other members of the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.

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Updated December 20, 2024

Topic
Project Safe Childhood