The Department of Justice has unveiled an innovative national public service announcement (PSA) campaign to educate parents about the potential dangers that their children face online and, for the first time, warns potential online predators that exploiting a child online is a serious federal offense.

The four new PSAs were developed jointly by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and Project Safe Childhood partners INOBTR (“I Know Better”), iKeepSafe and the Hispanic Communications Network.

iKeepSafe developed one of the PSAs, entitled “Know Where They Go,” to highlight the risks children face on the Internet. The PSA, illustrates how, in the digital world, children can travel anywhere, and why it is important that parents monitor what sites their children visit and who they are talking to. Elements of this campaign include television, print, radio and Web advertisements. For more on this PSA, please go to www.KnowWhereTheyGo.org.

INOBTR created a PSA entitled “Exploiting a Minor Is a Major Offense.” This cutting-edge campaign is designed to warn potential online predators that exploiting a child online is a serious federal offense. Elements of this campaign include television, movie theaters, print, radio and Web banners. For more on this PSA, please go to www.stopanonlinepredator.org.

The Hispanic Communications Network (HCN) produced two separate series of Spanish-language PSAs for television, radio, print and the Web. The first targets parents, while the second targets potential predators. The potential predator PSA seeks to inform low-level offenders or individuals looking for child pornography images online or attempting communication with minors that law enforcement is actively pursuing them, and that their illegal activity could have lifetime consequences. Like the INOBTR ad, it gives a compelling messageto stop and think about the consequences of this serious federal crime. The Spanish-language information can be found on www.ProtegelosAhora.org for the parent campaign and www.NoTeArruines.org for the potential predator campaign.

In addition, HCN produced an English-language short video for online distribution. The video, or Webisode, illustrates the dangers children face online and urges parents to become informed and involved, and to supervise their children’s Internet and mobile phone activity.

The importance of the PSAs warning consumers of child pornography of the grave consequences is highlighted by several recent cases in the Northern District of Ohio. Just last week, five individuals were indicted in separate cases, charging them with receipt, distribution, possession and the knowing access of child pornography.

Tony L. Eggleston, age 47, of Akron, was charged with attempting to receive child pornography by mail, and with accessing child pornography.

Christopher T. Fowler, age 38, of Akron, was charged with receiving and distributing child pornography in interstate commerce by means of a computer, and with possession of child pornography.

Timothy McNerney, age 51, of Cleveland, was charged with receiving and distributing child pornography in interstate commerce by means of a computer, and with possession of child pornography.

Mark Schimley, age 47, of Niles, was charged with receiving and distributing child pornography in interstate commerce by means of a computer, and with possession of child pornography.

If convicted, each of these individuals face a minimum mandatory sentence of five years in prison and could face as much as twenty years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine and lifetime supervised release.

Michael Patterson, age 22, of Cleveland, was charged with possession of child pornography. If convicted, Patterson faces a maximum of ten years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine and lifetime supervised release.

The actual sentence in each of these cases case will be determined by the Court after consideration of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines which depend upon a number of factors unique to each case, including the defendant's prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the unique 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.

In other recent cases, three individuals received lengthy prison terms for their convictions involving child pornography.

On December 16, 2008, the Honorable Kathleen M. O’Malley, United States District Court Judge, sentenced Lee Sly, age 43, of Cleveland, to one hundred thirty-five months in prison, followed by eight years supervised release for his conviction of receiving and distributing child pornography in interstate commerce by means of a computer.

On November , 2008, The Honorable James S. Gwin, United States District Court Judge, sentenced Jon Geiser, age 49, of Cleveland, to fifteen years in prison, followed by five years supervised release for his conviction of receiving and distributing child pornography in interstate commerce by means of a computer, and possession of child pornography

On December 2, 2008, the Honorable Lesley Wells, United States District Court Judge, sentenced Kyle Yarosius, age 23, of Massillon, to ten years in prison, followed by ten years supervised release for his conviction of receiving and distributing child pornography in interstate commerce by means of a computer, and possession of child pornography.

In fiscal year 2008, in the Northern District of Ohio, charges were filed in 39 cases involving online child exploitation. Of the 30 defendants sentenced, during that time period, in these types of cases, 27 received a sentence of 5 years in prison or longer and in 15 of these cases, the defendant received a sentence of 10 or more years in prison.

Launched in May 2006, Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department’s Criminal Division, and Internet Crimes Against Children task forces, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood and the public service announcements, please visit www.projectsafechildhoo.gov.