Former Howland podiatrist sentenced to 14 years in prison for child pornography

Staff report

WARREN

Bradley T. Jennings, 37, of Harvard Drive Southeast, a Howland podiatrist until April, pleaded guilty Thursday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to five child-pornography charges and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Warren police and the county Crimes Against Children Task Force, which consists of prosecutors and several county police departments, executed a search warrant at Jennings’ Warren home April 1. They found images on electronic devices confirming what had been found earlier through use of Internet tools, police said.

Jennings downloaded and copied hundreds of images showing children as young as 5 or 6 engaged in a variety of sex acts, said Gabe Wildman, assistant county prosecutor.

Jennings did not offer any comment to Judge Ronald Rice during sentencing. Jennings pleaded guilty to five counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor in what is called a bill of information, a process that bypasses indictment by a county grand jury and goes directly to a guilty plea.

Jennings is declared to be a Tier 2 sex offender, meaning when he leaves prison, he will have to register with the sheriff in the place where he lives every six months for 25 years.

At the time Jennings was arrested April 1, he was affiliated with a podiatry practice at 248 Niles-Cortland Road just north of East Market Street in Howland, but he surrendered his license to practice podiatric medicine April 4, and his license was revoked permanently by the Ohio Medical Board on April 9. His practice was associated with ValleyCare Health System of Ohio.

Jennings is not accused of hands-on offenses against children or patients, officials say.

Wildman noted that additional evidence surfaced during the investigation that is being investigated by Pennsylvania officials, because the conduct is believed to have occurred in Pennsylvania.

The Ohio Medical Board website says Jennings received his initial licensure as a podiatrist in June 2012 and earned a training certificate in 2009.

Jennings did make an appearance in Warren Municipal Court just after his arrest. He has remained in the Trumbull County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bond since that appearance. He waived preliminary hearing, and the case was bound over to the grand jury.