Fugitive Arrested, Charged with Coercion, Enticement, Production of Child Pornography

CINCINNATI – Cody Lee Jackson, 20, most recently of Norwood, Ohio, was charged by criminal complaint with coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and production of child pornography. Jackson was arrested last week in Utah.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, Norwood Police Chief William Kramer and Blue Ash Police Chief Paul Hartinger announced the charges, which were unsealed today.

According to court documents, investigators were contacted with the information that two females, including a minor, had previously been held against their will by Jackson, in Blue Ash, Ohio.  While on electronic monitoring for charges in that case, Jackson allegedly met the minor victim in the instant case, through Facebook.  Jackson arranged for a taxi to deliver the minor to his place of residence, and had sexual intercourse with her on multiple occasions.

Over time, Jackson allegedly became more controlling and would not let the victim leave his residence. He established various rules and punishments which included physical abuse.

After pleading guilty on July 31, 2015 to state charges of interference with custody, abduction and kidnapping, Jackson fled to other states including South Carolina and Texas. During that time, he allegedly threatened to kill the minor victim’s family if she did not send him sexually explicit photographs via Facebook.

Coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity carries a minimum of ten years and a maximum sentence of life in prison.  Production of child pornography is a crime punishable by a range of 15 to 30 years in prison.

Jackson is also facing charges of rape, kidnapping, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and interference with custody, brought by the Norwood Police Department and the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims.

U.S. Attorney Stewart commended law enforcement for the cooperative investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Muncy who is representing the United States in this case.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.