Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Southern District of Ohio
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
CONTACT: Fred Alverson
Public Affairs Officer
COLUMBUS, OHIO -- Christopher E. Pelloski, MD, 39, of Upper Arlington, Ohio, turned himself in to law enforcement authorities today after a federal complaint was filed charging him with downloading child pornography.
Carter M. Stewart, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott and Upper Arlington Police Chief Brian Quinn announced the federal charges today.
Pelloski was a radiation oncologist at the James Cancer Hospital of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus, where he also held the title as the Director of the Pediatric Radiation Oncology Program.
The Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) executed a search warrant at Pelloski's residence on July 16, 2013 and found evidence indicating that Pelloski had downloaded sexually explicit videos of children. Investigators will conduct additional forensic analysis on Pelloski's computers.
"A criminal complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt," U.S. Attorney Stewart said. "The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."
The complaint charges Pelloski with one count of receipt of child pornography which is punishable by a sentence ranging from five to 20 years in prison. Pelloski will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King at 3:30p.m. today at the Kinneary Federal Courthouse, 85 Marconi Boulevard.
"Our ICAC investigators are highly trained and have technology at their disposal to fully go after these destroyers of innocence," said Sheriff Zach Scott. "This suspect's actions are reprehensible and make no mistake that going after predators like these is a priority. Congratulations to the ICAC unit and to all involved in finding justice for the victims."
Chief Brian Quinn of the Upper Arlington Police Department said, "This type of criminal activity can impact any community, it's especially difficult when it involves someone we all have confidence and trust in. This investigation reinforces the importance of pooling our resources to better address the problem of computer facilitated crimes against children as well as highlight the importance of internet safety education for parents and children."
The Franklin County ICAC Task Force is a multi-agency effort dedicated to the fight against computer facilitated crimes against children. Since the task force began in 2009, over 400 arrests have been made and dozens of child victims of sex abuse and exploitation have been identified and rescued.
The following agencies are members:
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
Upper Arlington Police Department
Grove City Police Department
Columbus Police Department
Grandview Heights Police Department
Whitehall Police Department
Hilliard Police Department
Westerville Police Department
Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. Secret Service
Ohio ICAC
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio
Franklin County Prosecutor's Office
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obsencity Section (DEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
