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Press Release

Cincinnati man who advertised online for babysitting services sentenced to more than 8 years in prison for possessing child pornography

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio

CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man who sought babysitting jobs online was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 100 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography.

 

Ryan J. McConnell, 31, was arrested by federal agents in December 2020.

 

According to court documents, FBI agents in El Paso, Texas, acting in an undercover capacity on Kik messenger discovered McConnell through a group called “Toddlers.” Members within this group distributed hundreds of videos and images of child rape.

 

McConnell’s phone contained child pornography depicting pre-pubescent and pubescent boys engaged in sexually explicit conduct while wearing diapers.

 

Additionally, McConnell actively sought work as a babysitter from approximately 2010 until 2020 on a number of websites, including SitterCity.com, Care.com, Craigslist.org and possibly others. For example, McConnell was registered for three SitterCity accounts and had created at least 20 Craigslist ads offering childcare and/or babysitting services as recently as late October 2020. He was accepting babysitting jobs as “Bryan S.”

 

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.

 

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Updated March 14, 2022

Topic
Project Safe Childhood