A Cleveland man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse materials while on parole. Christopher Galaszewski, 27, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty in May to charges of distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of child pornography.
In addition to his prison term, Galaszewski was ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release following his incarceration and pay $10,000 under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act assessments. He will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Court documents show that between June 23 and July 6, 2023, Galaszewski distributed computer files containing images of minors involved in sexually explicit acts. At least one image depicted a prepubescent minor under the age of 12.
Federal agents began investigating after receiving a report that Galaszewski was sharing child sexual abuse material through a social media platform. During a check-in call with his parole officer, he claimed his email account had been hacked because it contained child pornography. The next day, authorities seized his cellphone and laptop as allowed by the terms of his parole. A subsequent search revealed nearly 200 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.
The investigation leading to Galaszewski’s indictment was conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorney Margaret A. Kane prosecuted the case.
The prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide that coordinates resources at various government levels to address online child exploitation and rescue victims. More information about this initiative can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Reports of child exploitation can be made at https://www.cybertipline.org or by calling 1-800-843-5678 at any time.
