A Fayette County registered sex offender was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexually exploiting a child and sharing sexual abuse material on the dark web. Brian J. Roberts, 44, of Washington Court House, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 360 months in prison for his heinous crimes.
According to court documents, Roberts sexually abused an approximately 3-year-old boy from November 2022 until August 2023 and uploaded videos and photos of the abuse to various dark web sites. One video, titled Preview.mp4, showed more than three minutes of Roberts sexually abusing the child and ended with the words “NEXT TIME…POTTY FUN!”
The defendant uploaded 195 images to one dark web site, more than 100 of which focused on child sexual abuse of babies and toddlers as young as 3 weeks old. This is not Roberts’ first brush with the law, as he was a twice-convicted sex offender at the time of his online conduct, with prior convictions in Madison and Clark counties.
At the time of his arrest, Roberts had an active warrant in Highland County for telecommunications harassment toward a family member of the 3-year-old boy based on his alleged attempts to contact the child. The investigation into Roberts began when federal agents discovered his activity on various dark web sites dedicated to the sexual abuse of children.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit, announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.
The sentence of 360 months in prison is a significant one, and it reflects the seriousness of Roberts’ crimes. The fact that he was a twice-convicted sex offender at the time of his online conduct makes his actions all the more egregious. The investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate the commitment of law enforcement to protecting children from predators like Roberts.
The use of the dark web to share and exploit child sexual abuse material is a growing concern, and this case highlights the need for continued vigilance and cooperation between law enforcement agencies to combat this crime. The sentence imposed on Roberts serves as a warning to others who would seek to exploit and harm children, and it demonstrates that those who engage in such behavior will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
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