A Lorain County man has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for trafficking thousands of files containing child sexual abuse material. Robert L. Scarvelli, 52, of Sheffield Lake, Ohio, received a sentence of 107 months from U.S. District Judge David A. Ruiz after pleading guilty in September 2025 to charges related to the receipt and distribution of material depicting real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Scarvelli will also serve 15 years of supervised release following his imprisonment and must pay $5,000 in restitution to one of his victims.
Court documents indicate that between June 6 and August 31, 2024, Scarvelli knowingly received, distributed, and possessed digital files showing children being sexually abused. Federal agents executed a search warrant at his residence and seized several electronic devices containing thousands of images and videos. Many files depicted sadistic or masochistic acts involving children under the age of 12, including infants and toddlers. More than 100 videos lasted ten minutes or longer; one video showed a child being abused for nearly an hour.
The FBI Cleveland Division conducted the investigation that led to Scarvelli’s indictment.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
“This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.”
The public is encouraged to report suspected child exploitation at cybertipline.org or by calling 1-800-843-5678 at any time.
