Day care owner charged with receipt of child pornography

CINCINNATI — A federal grand jury has charged an Ohio man with receiving child pornography. The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

John Foster, 36, of Maineville, Ohio, was charged in an indictment returned Wednesday. He is the co-owner of the Primrose School at River's Bend, a suburban Cincinnati child day care facility.

The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Carter M. Stewart, Southern District of Ohio; Brian M. Moskowitz, special agent in charge of ICE HSI for Ohio and Michigan; Warren County (Ohio) Sheriff Larry L. Sims; and Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell.

The indictment alleges that between 2004 and 2007, Foster received visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment charges Foster with 25 counts of receiving child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography for having a computer and nearly 25 compact discs containing pictures and movies of child pornography. Each count of receipt of child pornography is punishable by a minimum of five and up to 20 years in prison. Possession is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Foster, who is currently in custody on state charges, will have an initial appearance before a federal judge.

U.S. Attorney Stewart commended the cooperative investigation by ICE HSI agents and sheriff's deputies, and the cooperation of Assistant Warren County Prosecutor Travis Vieux.

U.S. Attorney Stewart also thanked computer forensic analysts with the U.S. Secret Service who conducted forensic examinations of computer equipment found in Foster's home.

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE HSI initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers. ICE HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.