Coitsville man admitted downloading child porn, affidavit says

Staff report

COITSVILLE

A 50-year-old Hop Drive man, who is now in federal custody, admitted to authorities that he had downloaded and stored child pornography as they interviewed him during their search of his home, according to a U.S. Secret Service agent’s affidavit in support of the man’s arrest.

The affidavit was attached to a complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, which charges Paul C. Schumacher with knowingly receiving and distributing child pornography that was transmitted across state lines.

A detective with the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, to which the Secret Service agent is assigned, found about 50 computer file folders containing numerous child-pornography images and videos when the detective examined Schumacher’s computer during the Tuesday search, the affidavit said.

The Secret Service agent verified that four pornographic images showing the groins of prepubescent girls were downloaded June 19 to the computer address, which the agent traced through a cable-TV company to Schumacher’s residence, the affidavit said.

Some 4,146 unique files at that computer address appeared to be child pornography, the agent said in his affidavit.

The search warrant was signed Monday by U.S. Magistrate Kathleen B. Burke.

U.S. Magistrate Greg White will conduct a hearing at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in Cleveland to determine whether Schumacher should remain detained without bond until his trial.