COLUMBUS, Ohio — A federal judge sentenced Stephen Chinn, 41, of Columbus, to 96 months in prison Wednesday for receiving and possessing child pornography, according to court documents.
In May 2023, Chinn uploaded child sexual abuse material to the internet, depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit acts with adults and animals, court records show. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children flagged the uploads.
Investigators executed a search warrant at Chinn’s Grandview Heights home in August 2023, discovering a desktop computer with over 4,000 child sexual abuse images. Forensic analysis revealed Chinn had downloaded additional material that month from a Russian social media site known for distributing such content. The material included prepubescent children subjected to bestiality, sexual intercourse with adults, and sadistic and masochistic abuse.
Chinn, a former Franklin County public defender, was arrested in August 2023 and initially faced local charges of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and pandering obscenity. He was released on bond for those charges. Federal charges filed in September 2023 superseded the local case, and Chinn pleaded guilty to the federal charges in August 2024.
The Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case.