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Man facing federal child pornography charges
YOUNGSTOWN
A Youngstown man is being held on federal child pornography charges and could be looking at state charges associated with the rape of a child.
Christopher Cavna, 26, of Mahoning Avenue, is facing charges of sexual exploitation of children. The child in question is believed to have been a family member.
Cavna is in federal custody pending the findings of a federal grand jury that will decide what specific charges will be brought against him.
Rebecca Doherty, an assistant Mahoning County prosecutor, said she is aware of the federal allegations against Cavna.
“From what we under- stand it is pretty bad, engaging in sexual activity with his own children,” she said.
Federal court documents concerning the case detail an apparent use of photographs of the minor victim in material that was to be distributed, possibly over the Internet.
“Being a parent of a minor, [Cavna] knowingly permitted such minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating a visual depiction of such conduct,” court documents said.
The documents also allege Cavna had knowledge that “such visual depiction would be transported using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce ... or that such visual depiction was produced using materials that had been mailed, shipped or transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer.”
Doherty said there is the possibility of charges being filed at the state level on the alleged rape in addition to any federal charges concerning the exploitation or pictures of the victim.
“We would have to have local law enforcement looking into the situation to see if there is anything in addition to the federal charges,” Doherty said.
According to The Vindicator’s broadcast news partner 21 WFMJ-TV, Cavna was convicted in 2011 of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and is registered as a sex offender.