Huron County man sentenced to prison on child sexual abuse charges

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - A 46-year-old man was sentenced to federal prison for sending and receiving child sexual abuse material through a social media platform and for committing firearms charges.

Ricardo Gibson, of Willard, Ohio, was sentenced to 292 months, or 24.33 years, in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick on after pleading guilty in May to the charges in the indictment:

• Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM)
• Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; previous conviction for same offense in 2002

Gibson was also ordered to pay $42,000 in restitution to victims and to serve 20 years of supervised release after serving his prison sentence.

According to court documents and evidence presented in court, in May 2023, federal agents were investigating a report made by an online marketplace seller about a man who was buying her children’s used clothing and who then sent her provocative images of prepubescent girls through the platform’s chat function. Agents subsequently identified Gibson and found he continued to express his sexual interest in children and send CSAM to the seller.

During a search warrant execution where he was residing, agents found two cellphones, adult sex toys, little girl’s clothing, two handguns, three magazines and 19, 9mm rounds of ammunition. A forensic analysis of his electronic devices uncovered 6,448 CSAM files in his possession.

This case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency, the Huron County Sheriff’s Office, and the Willard Police Department.

The Northern District of Ohio led the prosecution.

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