Huron County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Abuse Charges

TOLEDO, Ohio - A 46-year-old man has pleaded guilty in federal court to sending and receiving child pornography through a social media platform and to firearms charges.

Ricardo Gibson, of Willard, Ohio, pleaded guilty to the charges in the indictment:

• Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM)
• Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; previous conviction for same offense in 2002

According to court documents and evidence presented in court, in May 2023 federal agents were investigating a report made by an online marketplace seller about a man who was buying her children's used clothing and who then sent her provocative images of prepubescent girls through the platform's chat function. Agents subsequently identified Gibson and found he continued to express his sexual interest in children and send CSAM to the seller. During a search warrant execution where he was residing, agents found two cellphones, adult sex toys, little girl's clothing, two handguns, three magazines and 19, 9mm rounds of ammunition. A forensic analysis of his electronic devices uncovered 6,448 CSAM files in his possession.

Gibson is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 20, 2026. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 40 years for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography and a 15-year maximum for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

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 FBI Toledo Resident Agency, the Huron County Sheriff's Office, and the Willard Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank H. Spryszak 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.