Rebecca C. Lutzko United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
A Summit County resident, Adam Kline, 23, of Mogadore, Ohio, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for crimes involving child sexual abuse materials. U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan handed down the sentence after Kline pleaded guilty in May to charges related to the receipt and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of child pornography.
Kline will also serve 15 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. He was ordered to pay $23,000 in special assessments and $3,000 in restitution to a victim identified during the investigation.
Court documents state that between January 9 and May 21, 2024, Kline knowingly distributed files containing images of real minors involved in sexually explicit acts. At least one image depicted a prepubescent minor under the age of 12. Federal agents found several social media accounts linked to Kline used for distributing these materials. Investigators determined he possessed approximately 675 images characterized as sadistic or masochistic child sexual abuse material.
The FBI Akron Field Office led the investigation into Kline’s activities. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo 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. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the country and 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 Justice.gov/PSC."
Members of the public can report suspected child exploitation through cybertipline.org or by calling 1-800-843-5678 at any time.
