Ohio Music Instructor Guilty of Child Pornography

Brian M. Sze, 35, a former music instructor from Seattle, has pleaded guilty to producing child pornography in U.S. District Court in Ohio.

According to court documents, the investigation began in July 2015 after a tip was reported to the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, alleging that Sze had engaged in sexually suggestive communications with a minor. The investigation revealed that Sze had also engaged in illicit sexual contact with a minor and caused recordings of the child engaged in sexual activity to be recorded.

Sze pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography, a crime punishable by a range of 15 to 30 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather A. Hill described Sze’s actions as ‘particularly heinous’ because he used his position as an educator to victimize a minor.

The Franklin County ICAC Task Force is a multi-agency effort dedicated to the fight against computer-facilitated crimes against children. The following agencies are members: Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio ICAC, Grove City Police Department, Columbus Police Department, Grandview Heights Police Department, Westerville Police Department, Hilliard Police Department, Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Ohio Attorney General’s Office (BCI), The Ohio State University Police Department, Upper Arlington Police Department, Circleville Police Department, and Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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 better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims.

U.S. Attorney Carter M. Stewart commended the members of the ICAC Task Force for the cooperative investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather A. Hill, who is representing the United States in this case. The case is a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance in protecting our children from predators who seek to exploit them through technology.

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