Ohio Man Sentenced to 26 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

CLEVELAND - Brian Patterson, 44, of Canton, Ohio, has been sentenced to 26 years in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese after pleading guilty to multiple charges including sexual exploitation of children, receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and possession of child sexual abuse materials, also referred to as child pornography. He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and must register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, law enforcement officials discovered that Patterson possessed 766 images of child pornography that included 50 images of children under the age of 12. The remaining images were of a child known to law enforcement and who was unaware that she was being surreptitiously recorded by a hidden camera.

This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and the Canton Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.