Dayton man who exploited teens online sentenced to more than 22 years in prison

DAYTON, Ohio - A Dayton man who preyed on minors online on multiple social media and messaging platforms was sentenced in federal court here today to 270 months in prison for coercion and enticement.

David A. Snell, 37, used multiple usernames and fake identities to connect with victims. According to court documents, from May to July 2024, Snell used various Reddit accounts to identify and target vulnerable minors, and to communicate with two minor females, 16 and 17 years old. Snell groomed these minors and coerced and enticed them to send him child pornography images and videos - including degrading depictions of sexual activity and acts of self-harm - for Snell's sexual enjoyment.

Snell was charged federally in August 2024 and pleaded guilty in September 2025.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Christina E. Mahy is representing the United States in this case.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney's Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood 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.

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