Lorain man indicted for child pornography

James J. Paterson, 49, of Lorain, was charged with receiving and possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The Indictment charges that from on or about September 10, 2010, through on or about November 17, 2014, in the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, and elsewhere, Paterson knowingly received, using any means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce, numerous computer files, which files contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and which files had been shipped and transported in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce.  The indictment also charges that on March 30, 2014, Paterson possessed two computers that contained child pornography.

If convcited, the sentence in this case will be determined by the court after consideration of the federal sentencing guidelines which depend upon a number of factors unique to each case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the unique 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 Elyria Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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.