Daniel J. Akehurst, Child Pornography Possession, Ohio 2013

A disturbing case of child exploitation has shaken the community in Chillicothe, Ohio, with the sentencing of Daniel J. Akehurst, a 46-year-old man, to 84 months in prison for possessing child pornography.

According to court documents, in September 2013, investigators connected 59 images of child pornography to Akehurst’s IP address. The files depicted nude or partially nude pre-pubescent females, approximately one to seven years old, being sexually abused.

When a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence, ICAC Task Force officers discovered more than 16,000 images and videos of child pornography on a computer and thumb drive.

Akehurst pleaded guilty on December 22, 2014, to knowingly possessing visual depictions of child pornography.

The Franklin County ICAC Task Force, a multi-agency effort dedicated to combating computer-facilitated crimes against children, played a crucial role in this case. The task force includes the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Upper Arlington Police Department, Grove City Police Department, Columbus Police Department, Grandview Heights Police Department, Whitehall Police Department, Hilliard Police Department, Westerville Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Secret Service, Ohio ICAC, and the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

U.S. Attorney Carter M. Stewart commended the cooperative investigation by the Franklin County ICAC Task Force, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica H. Kim and Heather A. Hill, who are representing the United States in this case.

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