Previously Convicted Child Rapist Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Abuse Materials Charges

TOLEDO, Ohio - A Lucas County man, who was previously convicted of raping children, has been sentenced to federal prison after hundreds of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) were discovered on his computer.

Paul A. Speer, 56, of Toledo, Ohio, has been sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick, after pleading guilty in November 2025, to Receipt of Child Pornography. He was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release after imprisonment, pay $3,000 in restitution to victims, and pay $2,000 toward the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act, which was established in 2018 to provide monetary assistance for victims of child sexual abuse.

According to court documents, in December 2024, staff members of a Best Buy in Toledo called the Toledo Police Department to report that a desktop computer dropped off for repair by Speer, was suspected of containing CSAM. Pursuant to a search warrant execution, a forensic analysis of his electronic devices was conducted and agents found more than 570 images and videos of CSAM. The files included depictions of toddlers being raped and molested. Several files also included molestation of prepubescent children and bestiality. During the investigation, agents conducted a criminal history search of Speer and learned that in November 2000 he was convicted of three counts of rape of a child under age 13.

The investigation leading to the indictment was led by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency and the Toledo Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Tracey Ballard Tangeman 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.

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