Mahoning County Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Joseph Andrew Garchar, 36, of Lowellville, Ohio, with sexual exploitation of a child.

According to the indictment, in April and October of 2021, the defendant is accused of engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a minor for the purpose of producing child pornography.

Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler and FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith made the announcement.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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.

The case was investigated by the Youngstown Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Sullivan.