Two Cincinnati Individuals Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Sex Trafficking of Child

CINCINNATI – Eric Zyn Ho, 25, and Bryan Mathew Otero, 27, both of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of conspiracy to sex traffic a child. Ho also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Union Township Police Chief Scott Gaviglia and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force announced the pleas entered into today before U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott.

In May, the defendants conspired to harbor a 14-year-old female and caused her to engage in a commercial sex act.

Both defendants were charged by criminal complaint and arrested on May 4 and remain in custody. They were indicted by a federal grand jury in the same month.

Conspiracy to sex traffic children is a crime punishable by up to life in prison. Conspiracy to produce child pornography carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison up to 30 years.

Pursuant to the Child Victims’ and Child Witnesses’ Rights Act, specific details of the plea agreements remain under seal.

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, including FBI Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Kansas City field offices, and Union Township Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey, who is prosecuting the case.

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