The Cleveland Division of the FBI, Toledo Resident Agency’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force announces the arrest of Samuel Kurp, 26 years old, formerly of Oregon, Ohio, most recently of Elmore, Ohio.

On August 4, 2020, a referral was forwarded by the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to the Oregon Police Department. The Oregon Police Department forwarded the cyber tip to the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.

The cyber tip indicated an individual had been utilizing a social media messenger app to upload and/or send to another user or group of users 26 videos or image files of child sexual abuse material, also referred to as child pornography.

Through investigative efforts, it was determined that the IP addresses being used to send and receive these specified child pornographic videos and images were being utilized by Samuel Kurp of Oregon, Ohio. It was also determined that Samuel Kurp of Oregon, Ohio, was currently employed as a police officer with the Elmore Police Department, since 2017.

Two federal search warrants were executed today, August 11, 2020, in this investigative matter, one for Kurp’s previous address in Oregon, Ohio, where child pornography images/videos were sent or received, and the other at his most recent address in Elmore, Ohio.

An Elmore Police Department representative confirmed Kurp’s work attendance at the department on specified dates and times when child pornographic images and/or videos were distributed.

Samuel Kurp was taken into custody today by members of the FBI’s Toledo Resident Agency’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force without incident. Kurp will have an initial appearance in federal court tomorrow, August 12, 2020. Kurp has been charged with receipt and distribution of child pornography.

The FBI would like to thank the Oregon Police Department and the Elmore Police Department for their cooperation in this matter and their continued partnership.

A complaint 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.

For questions regarding this press release, please contact SA Vicki Anderson at 216-522-1400 or at vagregg@fbi.gov.