Parma Heights Man Indicted on Child Pornography Charges

A federal grand jury in Cleveland, Ohio returned a two-count indictment charging Joseph Curreri, age 60, of Parma Heights, Ohio, with receiving and distributing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and possessing child pornography, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The indictment charges from on or about May 5, 2011, through on or about May 19, 2011, Curreri knowingly received and distributed computer image and video files, which files contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Additionally, the indictment charges that on August 11, 2011, Curreri possessed a computer containing child pornography.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael A. Sullivan. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.