Columbia Station Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child Pornography and Related Crimes

A Columbia Station man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for production of child pornography, child exploitation, extortion, identity theft and related crimes, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Cleveland office.

William T. Koch, age 25, previously pleaded guilty to 18 counts, including sexual exploitation of children, extortion, identity theft, receipt and distribution of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and unauthorized distribution of live musical performance.

Koch attempted to coerce more than a dozen minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct between 2010 and 2013 for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct; knowing and having reason to know that such visual depictions would be transmitted, using any means or facility of interstate and foreign commerce, and in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, according to court documents.

Koch used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of transmitting a live visual depiction of such conduct, knowing and having reason to know that such visual depiction would be transmitted, using any means or facility of interstate and foreign commerce, and in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, according to court documents.

Koch attempted to coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct with his 10-year-old brother, for the purpose of transmitting a live visual depiction of such conduct, knowing and having reason to know that such visual depiction would be transmitted, using any means or facility of interstate and foreign commerce, and in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, according to court documents.

Koch distributed, in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, by computer, any material in a manner that reflected the belief and was intended to cause another to believe that the material was a visual depiction of an actual minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, according to court documents.

Koch, with the intent to extort a thing of value from some of the aforementioned minors, transmitted in interstate and foreign commerce, communications threatening to injure the reputations of said minors. He knowingly used, without lawful authority, in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, a means of identification of another person, with the intent to commit, and in connection with, the offenses charged in the indictment.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael A. Sullivan.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.