Ohio Man Convicted for Engaging in Child Exploitation Enterprise

A federal jury found a Hamilton, Ohio, man guilty of one count of engaging in a child exploitation enterprise, one count of conspiracy to advertise child pornography and one count of conspiracy to distribute child pornography.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney James A. Lewis of the Central District of Illinois and Special Agent in Charge Sean Cox of the FBI’s Springfield, Illinois, Division made the announcement.

 Evidence at trial established that Jason Gmoser, 36, acted as a member and co-administrator of an Internet website through which Gmoser and others posted thousands of messages containing images of sexual exploitation involving pre-pubescent children.  The website’s users also employed advanced technological means in order to undermine law enforcement’s attempts to identify them.

 Gmoser was arrested on Oct. 16, 2014, following a court-authorized search of his home in Hamilton.  A forensic examination of computers and devices seized pursuant to that search found he was in possession of millions of files depicting the sexual exploitation of children.  Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2016.

 The FBI’s Springfield Field Office and the FBI’s Violent Crimes against Children Section, Major Case Coordination Unit and Digital Analysis and Research Center led the investigation of this case.  Trial Attorney Keith Becker of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly Peirson of the Central District of Illinois prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.