Franklin County public defender indicted on child pornography charges
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A 39-year-old Franklin County public defender living in Grandview Heights has been indicted on federal charges related to possessing material depicting child sexual abuse.
Stephen Chinn turned himself in to the U.S. District Court of Southern Ohio on Wednesday morning and faces three counts of transporting, receiving, and possessing child pornography.
He made his initial court appearance on Wednesday afternoon.
He is scheduled to appear in federal court again on Sept. 25 for a detention hearing. The federal charges he faces could be punishable with a minimum prison sentence of 25 years in prison.
The three-count indictment states that Chinn allegedly downloaded and saved child sexual abuse material from Aug. 11 to 13. On Aug. 17, Chinn was taken into custody by Grandview Heights police after a search warrant was issued for his apartment. Officers found evidence of child pornography on several electronic devices and Chinn was charged with two felony counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor.
Police said a mobile forensics team allegedly found more than 4,000 images and videos of pre-pubescent children being sexually abused. Police said they did not believe that Chinn had direct contact with any of the victims seen in the evidence recovered.
Chinn, who was released on $2500 bond for the previous charges, was also ordered not to have any contact with minors, no internet usage, and must surrender his passport.
The federal charges announced Wednesday now supersede earlier local charges.