Canton Man Sentenced to 13+ Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offenses

AKRON, Ohio - A Stark County man has been sentenced to federal prison for receiving, distributing, and possessing materials that depicted the sexual abuse of children.

Brian Dazey, 38, of Canton, has been sentenced to 160 months (13.3 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent, after pleading guilty to Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct, and Possession of Child Pornography, also known as Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). Dazey was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and is required to register as a sex offender.

In May of 2025, law enforcement in the Canton area were investigating suspected CSAM activity. Investigators learned that the child pornography was downloaded from both a church and a grocery store where Dazey was employed. On June 30, 2025, agents executed a search warrant on Dazey's person and residence and seized his cellphone. Dazey admitted to downloading, viewing, and trading child pornography on several social media platforms. During forensic examination of his electronic devices, investigators located more than 130,000 videos and images depicting child sexual abuse.

The case was investigated by the FBI Canton Resident Agency, the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Jackson Township Police Department, and the Canton Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District 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.orgLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link., or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.