William S. Thompson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia
Leonard Samiia, a 32-year-old resident of Wapakoneta, Ohio, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for producing child pornography. Following his imprisonment, he will be subject to 15 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
Court documents revealed that on February 20, 2023, Samiia engaged a minor from the Southern District of West Virginia to send him explicit images through an instant messaging service. He further sent these images back to the victim via the same platform.
Samiia admitted to instructing the minor on specific poses and actions for the images. He also threatened her with public exposure of these images by stating they would be posted online and even mentioned potential physical harm against her and her family.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced the sentencing while praising the investigative efforts of both the West Virginia State Police and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Holly Wilson.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to address child sexual exploitation online. This program aims to enhance coordination among federal, state, and local agencies in prosecuting offenders and rescuing victims.
Further information about Project Safe Childhood can be accessed at www.justice.gov/psc. Details related to this case are available on PACER under Case No. 2:24-cr-18.
