Berea Man Indicted for Child Exploitation
Cody Swinnerton, 24, of Berea, Ohio, was indicted in federal court for his alleged role in contacting several children between the ages of 12 and 15 and coercing them into sending him sexually explicit images.
According to court documents, Swinnerton controlled multiple accounts on Instagram and Facebook, where he targeted minors between the ages of 12 and 15. He contacted the victims’ friends and family to coerce the victims into producing more images and even threatened them in an effort to get them to produce sexually explicit images.
The investigation revealed potential victims in Ohio, Tennessee, Iowa, Texas, Australia, Austria, and France. A search warrant was executed at Swinnerton’s home in Berea on January 25, where relatives said he was on vacation in Australia at the time. A review of his computer revealed several images of child pornography.
The alleged crimes took place between 2013 and 2018, according to court documents. Swinnerton was indicted on three counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
Swinnerton’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including his prior criminal record, if any, his role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violations. If convicted, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, will be less than the maximum.
This investigation is ongoing and being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, HSI-Canberra, the Australian Federal Police, and Australian Border Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik.
A charge is only an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The defendant’s full name is Cody Swinnerton, and he is a 24-year-old resident of Berea, Ohio. The exact criminal charges include three counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. The city and state are Berea, Ohio. The exact date of the crime is between 2013 and 2018, with the search warrant being executed on January 25. The current status of the defendant is indicted, and the sentence or outcome is pending.
Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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