Willoughby man indicted on child pornography charges

A Willoughby man was indicted on child pornography charges, said Carole S. Rendon, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Conor K. Ransom, 33, was charged with receiving, distributing and possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Ransom knowingly received and distributed numerous computer files which contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, from February 24, 2016 through on or about April 19, 2016, according to the indictment.  The indictment also charges that on or about April 19, 2016, Ransom possessed a computer which contained child pornography.

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.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael A. Sullivan following an investigation by the Painesville, Ohio and Plano, Texas, offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Plano Police Department. 

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.