Athens Man Indicted for Producing Child Pornography
| U.S. Attorney’s Office April 11, 2012 |
COLUMBUS—A federal grand jury has charged Jason L. Hutchinson, 41, of Athens, with two counts of producing child pornography. Each count is punishable by at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Edward J. Hanko, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced the indictment today.
The indictment alleges that Hutchinson produced or transmitted two video depictions of himself engaged in various sex acts with a minor male on an unknown date in 2009 and again on or about November 14, 2011.
The FBI began investigating Hutchinson after law enforcement officials executed a search warrant on a known sex offender’s residence in Boston, Massachusetts and found two videos depicting an adult male engaged in sexual conduct with what appeared to be a minor male. Further investigation led investigators to Hutchinson’s residence in Athens.
Supported by deputies from the Athens County Sheriff’s Office, FBI agents executed a search warrant and arrested him on a criminal complaint on March 16, 2012. He has been in custody since his arrest.
The indictment also charges Hutchinson with one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Stewart commended the investigation by FBI agents, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Hill, who is prosecuting the case. U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley will set a trial date.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.