Anthony C. Hayes Jr., 44, of Maple Heights, Ohio, was sentenced on July 24 to 108 months in federal prison for receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese also ordered Hayes to serve ten years of supervised release after his imprisonment.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Hayes was identified during an investigation into suspected illegal downloads of child pornography through multiple peer-to-peer file sharing programs. Investigators found that for nearly a year, Hayes actively shared child sexual abuse material with others using these programs.
A search warrant executed at Hayes’ residence led to the seizure and analysis of his devices. Investigators determined that more than 3,000 files containing child sexual abuse material were located on his computer. The materials included videos depicting the rape and torture of children as young as four years old, with several videos showing children being sexually abused for more than an hour.
The investigation leading to the indictment was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse by coordinating resources from federal, state, and local agencies to locate offenders and rescue victims.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio is responsible for promoting community safety across northern Ohio through outreach efforts and victim services; enforcing federal criminal laws related to national security and public corruption; defending the United States in civil suits; collaborating with schools and law enforcement agencies; operating within federal law enforcement; and covering forty northern counties in Ohio, according to the official website.