A Chinese national living in Hudson was sentenced on Mar. 24 to more than 13 years in federal prison for possessing and distributing child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
Tong Chen, age 59, received a sentence of 160 months from U.S. District Judge Christopher A Boyko after pleading guilty in December 2025 to charges related to receipt and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, as well as possession of child pornography or child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). Chen will also serve fifteen years of supervised release following his imprisonment and must pay $67,500 in restitution. Upon completion of his sentence, he faces deportation from the United States.
Court documents show that federal agents began investigating Chen in May 2024 after the Circleville Police Department identified suspected CSAM connected to his Summit County residence. In July 2024, agents executed a search warrant at Chen’s home and seized digital devices containing more than 5,400 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. The material included sadistic content involving bondage, bestiality, and assaults on infants and toddlers. Investigators found that Chen had been viewing such material for about twelve years.
The FBI Cleveland Division led the investigation with support from both the Circleville Police Department and Hudson Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Margaret Kane prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices designed to combat online exploitation and abuse of children by coordinating resources across agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at justice.gov/PSC.
Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected cases of child exploitation at cybertipline.org or by calling 1-800-843-5678.
