Beachwood Nanny Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Children

CLEVELAND - A 26-year-old woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to sexually abusing two children in her care while she was employed as their nanny.

Molly Elisabeth Duncan, of Beachwood, Ohio, pleaded guilty to the charges in the indictment:

• Sexual Exploitation of Children (two counts)
• Distribution of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
• Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM)

Federal District Court Judge Pamela A. Barker accepted Duncan's plea April 6.

According to court documents and evidence, the defendant was working as a nanny in Northeast Ohio from about November 2023 to July 2024. Duncan sexually abused one victim in Portage County and another in Geauga County-both under the age of two-and recorded the visual depictions on her cellphone. She then distributed the files through a popular social media platform which she shared with multiple users. During a forensic analysis of Duncan's electronic devices, investigators found several CSAM files of each victim.

Duncan is scheduled to be sentenced July 22. She faces a maximum prison sentence of 30 years per count of Sexual Exploitation of Children and a 20-year maximum for each of the distribution and possession charges.

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is being investigated by the Cleveland Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret A. Kane and Michelle M. Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio.

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.