Ohio Man and Cousin Charged with Molesting 2-Year-Old to Sell Child Porn

A Franklin, Ohio, man with previous child sex offenses on his record was arrested after al
Ohio Depart. of Rehabilitation & Correction/Butler County Sheriff's Office

A Franklin, Ohio, man with previous child sex offenses on his record was arrested after allegedly convincing his cousin to procure a two-year-old girl for the two to sexually abuse while making a video of the incident to sell to other child porn users, according to police.

Police said when they arrested convict Jason Fletcher, 40, and his cousin, 25-year-old Ciera Richter, they found a large amount of child porn on their electronic devices. Some of the material showed the two restraining a two-year-old girl while Fletcher molested her, according to WXIX, Fox 19, in Cincinnati.

Police also said the pair made the video to sell to other child porn users.

In the video, Richter is allegedly seen holding the child down as Fletcher engaged in the sexual abuse. Richter is reportedly seen trying to soothe the girl with cooing talk as Fletcher did his worst.

The case was launched after Fletcher’s parole officer noticed he was carrying two cell phones and demanded that the contents of the phones be reviewed based on a suspicion that at least one of the devices was being used for unlawful purposes.

In the indictment, U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman charged that “Richter provided the toddler to Fletcher with the knowledge that as a consequence of the transfer, the two-year-old would be portrayed in child pornography.”

“Offenses like those alleged here are among the most heinous, and most important, that we prosecute,” Glassman said. “We take seriously our duty and responsibility to keep children safe from those who would prey upon them.”

“If we can protect children against this kind of exploitation, we absolutely have a duty to do it. And I hope that when we bring cases like this, it will protect other children of being abused in the future,” Glassman concluded.

Fletcher has previous convictions for possessing child pornography and for “importuning a minor,” and this new crime is a violation of his parole, according to authorities.

Richter was charged with one count of conspiracy to create child porn and a count of producing child porn. She could face up to 30 years in a federal prison.

Fletcher was charged with similar offenses and faces 35 years to life because of previous convictions. But he was also hit with a charge of selling a child, which by itself carries a sentence of 30 years to life.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.

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