Brian C. Keeling, 34, of Cleveland, charged with advertising, receiving, distributing and possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, said U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon.
Keeling knowingly made and caused to be made a notice and advertisement seeking and offering to receive, exchange, display and distribute any visual depiction of a real minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and such notice and advertisement were transported using any means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce and in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce by any means including by computer. Keeling also knowingly received and distributed, using any means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce, numerous computer files, which files contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and which files had been shipped and transported in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, according to the indictment.
The indictment also charges that on or about December 6, 2016, Keeling possessed a ZTE cellular phone and a Samsung Galaxy Tablet, each of which contained child pornography.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael A. Sullivan following an investigation by the Cleveland office of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.