Richard C. Webber, 54, of Huber Heights, Ohio, is going to prison for two years after being convicted of possessing child pornography, including graphic videos of prepubescent minors. Sentenced today in U.S. District Court, Webber will serve 24 months behind bars followed by a decade of supervised release.
The case, led by U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman for the Southern District of Ohio, exposed a digital trail of depravity. Webber used Peer-to-Peer file-sharing software to download, store, and share hundreds of illicit files. Authorities, including the FBI’s Cincinnati Division and Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer, uncovered more than 1,200 images and 170 video files during a search of his home computer and external storage devices.
Court documents reveal Webber stored the illegal material in shared folders on his desktop—accessible to others on the network—indicating not just possession but intent to distribute. He pleaded guilty on May 9, 2016, after being charged via a bill of information on March 25, 2016, avoiding a trial but sealing his status as a registered sex offender for life.
Judge Walter H. Rice handed down the sentence with zero tolerance, ordering Webber to register as a sex offender in any jurisdiction where he lives, works, or studies. The mandate ensures his criminal conduct follows him publicly, a permanent consequence for exploiting children.
In addition to registration, Webber must pay restitution to victims and forfeit all computers and digital media tied to the crime. Federal prosecutors, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Hunt and First Assistant Vipal Patel, emphasized the severity of digital child exploitation and vowed continued crackdowns.
The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a federal initiative targeting online predators. The program, active nationwide, combines federal, state, and local law enforcement to hunt down offenders and rescue victims. For more, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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