TOLEDO – A 46-year-old man was sentenced to federal prison for sending and receiving child pornography through a social media platform and for committing firearms offenses.

Ricardo Gibson, of Willard, was sentenced to 292 months (24.33 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick after pleading guilty in May to the charges in the indictment:

  • Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM).
  • Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; previous conviction for same offense in 2002.

Gibson was also ordered to pay $42,000 in restitution to victims, and to serve 20 years of supervised release after serving his prison sentence. 

According to court documents and evidence, in May 2023 federal agents investigated a report made about a man who was buying used children’s clothing from an online marketplace.

The seller reported that he was sending her provocative images of prepubescent girls through the platform’s chat function and was expressing his sexual interest in children. Agents subsequently identified Gibson.

During a search warrant executed where he was residing, investigators found two cellphones, adult sex toys, little girl’s clothing, two handguns, three magazines and 19, 9mm rounds of ammunition.

A forensic analysis of his seized electronic devices determined that approximately 6,448 CSAM files were in his possession.

This case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency, the Huron County Sheriff’s Office, and the Willard Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank H. Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio led the prosecution.

This case was 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.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.