⏱ 3 min read
A monster from Lakewood, Ohio, has been locked up for a long, long time. Gareth S. Schakel, 34, produced child pornography and ran a secret server for other child predators. He’s been sentenced to 26 years in prison.
Prosecutors say Schakel created an invite-only platform to share explicit content with other perverts. In April 2023, agents raided his home and found hundreds of disturbing files, including the abuse of infants and toddlers, torture and rape of prepubescent kids, and bestiality.
The investigation also turned up a 15-year-old victim, who Schakel had been exploiting. He’d convinced her to send him graphic content of herself, and even sent her his own explicit photos.
Schakel’s a repeat offender, with a previous state conviction for pandering to a minor in 2011. He’s also been convicted of failing to register as a sex offender.
The FBI and Ohio Adult Parole Authority led the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer J. King handling the prosecution.
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