Cincinnati Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography Victimizing a Child He Babysat

CINCINNATI—Caleb Zachary Storey, 30, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to producing sexually explicit photographs of a child he was babysitting in the family’s home and trading child pornography through an e-mail account. Under terms of the plea agreement, he will spend 32 years in prison and will be under court supervision for the rest of his life.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Kevin R. Cornelius, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Cincinnati; Cincinnati Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell; Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil; and members of the Greater Cincinnati Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) announced the pleas entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Sandra Beckwith.
Storey pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography, which is punishable by at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, and one count of possession of child pornography. That crime carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
According to court documents, FBI agents and members of the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Section, Major Case Coordination Unit investigating a case in Savannah, Georgia found a sexually explicit image of a child and traced it to an address in Cincinnati. Further investigation determined that the photo was taken at the family’s home. The child’s parents identified Storey as their in-home child care provider when the photograph was taken.
On January 8, investigators searched Storey’s residence and found evidence that he had been trading child pornographic images using an e-mail account and a photograph-sharing website. Preliminary forensic examination of computer and storage media seized from his residence have identified at least four other boys, all less than 8 years old, pictured in pornographic images taken by Storey. The FBI arrested Storey on January 8 based on a criminal complaint. He has been in custody since his arrest.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
The FBI Child Exploitation Task Force includes the Regional Electronics and Computer Investigations (RECI) unit from Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil’s Office and the Cincinnati Police Department. Other agencies participating in the Greater Cincinnati ICAC include Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters, and the police departments in Amberley Village, Blue Ash, and West Chester.
U.S. Attorney Stewart commended the FBI agents and task force officers who are investigating the case, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Muncy who is representing the United States in this case.