Willowick Man Charged with Child Pornography Offenses

Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced today that a federal grand jury in Cleveland, Ohio, returned an indictment charging Brian Cox, age 37, of Willowick, Ohio, with receiving visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, possessing child pornography, and destroying and altering records in a federal investigation.

The indictment charges from on April 30, 2008 through January 11, 2010, Cox knowingly received computer image and video files, which files contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Additionally, the indictment charges that on January 15, 2010, Cox possessed three computers, a USB drive, and a mini SD card, all containing child pornography. Additionally, the indictment charges that on January 15, 2010, Cox knowingly altered, destroyed, and concealed any tangible object with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence an investigation within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States.

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, the United States Secret Service, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

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.