Reynoldsburg Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing More Than 10,000 Images and 300 Videos of Child Pornography

COLUMBUS—Zdenek Hrouda, 37, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to possessing child pornography after investigators found more than 10,000 still images and 300 video files stored on three computers and two external hard drives in his house.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Edward J. Hanko, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Reynoldsburg Police Chief James Oneill; and Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott whose, office includes the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), announced the plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Michael Watson.

According to court testimony today by a Reynoldsburg Police officer on the ICAC task force, in June 2012 an ICAC investigator was patrolling the Internet and identified an IP address that was a download candidate for suspected child pornography. Officers searched his home on July 5, 2012, and found the computers.

When Hrouda learned he was under investigation, he fled back to his home country, the Czech Republic. He returned to the United States voluntarily in October 2012.

Possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and at least five years of supervised release. While on supervised release, he will also have to register as a sex offender anywhere he lives, works, or goes to school.

Stewart commended the investigation by the ICAC Task Force, the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah A. Solove, who represented the United States in the case.