Two men from Ohio have been sentenced to a combined 62 years in prison for crimes involving the exploitation and abuse of children, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. The cases are unrelated and were both presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan.
Jordan Dodd, 24, of Jefferson, received a sentence of 600 months (50 years) in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Dodd pleaded guilty in February to possession of child pornography and conspiracy to produce child pornography. According to court documents, while incarcerated on an unrelated matter in April 2024, Dodd began an online relationship with an adult woman and conspired with her to obtain sexually explicit photographs of an infant in her care. He instructed her to send these images while he was still imprisoned. In a separate investigation starting September 2023, authorities found that Dodd possessed digital devices containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including at least one image depicting a prepubescent minor under age 12.
Michael Monroe James, 28, of Clinton, was sentenced to 151 months (more than 12 years) in prison after pleading guilty in March to receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of child pornography. He will also serve 15 years of supervised release following his imprisonment and must pay $7,500 in restitution. Court records show that in June 2024 James communicated sexually explicit and violent messages with an undercover agent posing as a pregnant 11-year-old girl on the Whisper social media app. Investigators discovered more than 700 files containing CSAM involving infants or depicting sadistic acts on his electronic devices. Additionally, James created artificial intelligence-generated nude photos of other minors.
The FBI Cleveland Division led investigations into both cases.
Assistant United States Attorney Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel prosecuted each case for the Northern District of Ohio.
“These cases were 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,” according to the press release.
To report suspected child sexual abuse or exploitation online or by phone at any time, visit https://www.cybertipline.org/ or call 1-800-843-5678.
