Rebecca C. Lutzko United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
A federal grand jury has indicted Molly Elisabeth Duncan, a 25-year-old from Beachwood, Ohio, on charges of sexual exploitation of children, distributing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and possessing child sexual abuse materials, also known as child pornography.
The indictment details Duncan's alleged activities from November 2023 to March 2024, during which she is accused of sexually exploiting one minor to create visual materials for distribution. From April to July 2024, she allegedly exploited a second minor for similar purposes. The allegations also include using a mobile application to distribute numerous digital files containing visual depictions of the minors.
The initial complaint, filed on April 4, 2025, states that Duncan worked as a nanny for the toddler-aged victims and allegedly produced the abusive materials in the children's homes within the Northern District of Ohio. Investigators reportedly found multiple images and videos on a cellphone in her possession during a forensic examination.
If convicted of sexual exploitation of children, Duncan faces a jail term between 15 to 30 years. Conviction of distributing such depictions carries a minimum sentence of five years, with a possible maximum of 20 years.
The Cleveland Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force are investigating the case, with support from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office. The prosecution is led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret A. Kane and Michelle M. Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio.
Authorities urge anyone with relevant information to contact the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at 216-698-3151.
The case is part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched in 2006 to tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse, harnessing federal, state, and local resources to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
More information on Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
