Portage County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Abuse Charges

AKRON, Ohio - A 33-year-old man has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of sending and receiving child pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM).

Joshua Whan, of Kent, pleaded guilty to the following charges in the indictment:

• Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
• Transportation of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct

Chief Judge Sara Lioi accepted Whan's plea June 23.

According to a criminal complaint and affidavit, in February 2026 federal agents were notified by the Streetsboro Police Department of suspected CSAM online activity occurring in Portage County. Investigators identified Whan and they learned that he regularly engaged with others through social media platforms and online forums to share CSAM and discuss his sexual interest in boys. In one conversation he indicated that he was visiting Disney World to "check out all the hot kxds (sic) while walking the parks." Investigators seized Whan's electronic devices during a search warrant execution at his residence. A forensic analysis of the content of the devices determined that they contained more than 2,100 images and 600 videos that depicted mostly male children, including toddlers, being raped and sexually abused.

Whan is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 6. He faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison.

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

This case was investigated by the FBI Akron Resident Agency, the Streetsboro Police Department, the Kent Police Department, and the Portage County Sheriff's Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Margaret A. Kane 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.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.