FBI Cleveland
Public Affairs Officer Susan Licate
May 27, 2014

Man Arrested for Child Pornography Offenses

Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for the Northern District of Ohio, announces the arrest of Richard B. Elbert, age 50.

An investigation was initiated on April 24, 2014, due to filenames indicative of child pornography being housed in a publicly available peer-to-peer file sharing program. The folder was viewed by a member of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, and communications with the subscriber of the username followed. Richard B. Elbert was determined to be the subscriber of Drrich1366.

A federal search warrant was obtained on May 21, 2014, and was executed at Richard Elbert’s residence in Canton, Ohio, on May 22, 2014, by members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Safe Streets Task Forces, along with members of the Canton Police Department’s Vice Unit. Elbert was taken into custody on a local charge of pandering obscenity involving a minor. This local charge was dismissed on Friday, May 22, 2014, and Elbert was charged federally with knowingly receiving and distributing child pornography that had been shipped or transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer.

Richard Elbert had his initial appearance on Friday in federal court where he waived his right to a preliminary/detention hearing. This is an ongoing investigation and anyone with any additional information regarding Richard Elbert is encouraged to contact the FBI office at 216-522-1400.

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. If convicted, the defendants’ sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal records, if any; their role in the offenses; and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentences will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

Any questions regarding this news release can be directed to SA Vicki D Anderson at the Cleveland Office of the FBI, 216-522-1400 or Vicki.Anderson@ic.fbi.gov.