Child porn defendant pleads innocent

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A Leetonia man has pleaded innocent to charges related to child pornography.

Lucas J. Ippolito, 51, was arraigned Friday before U.S. Magistrate George J. Limbert, who ordered him jailed without bond pending a Thursday detention hearing.

A federal grand jury indicted Ippolito on Wednesday on charges of transporting 13- and 15-year-old girls from Pennsylvania to Ohio earlier this year to engage in sexual activity, forcing them to engage in sexually explicit conduct for production of a visual depiction of such conduct and possessing child pornography.

He also is charged with knowingly receiving and distributing between Jan. 6 and April 7, 2015, numerous computer files showing minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, the U.S. attorney said.

Ippolito faces 10 years to life in prison if he’s convicted of interstate transportation of a minor for sex.

The case was investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Youngstown FBI office.

The case is being prosecuted by Michael Sullivan, a Cleveland-based assistant U.S. attorney.

Atty. Ron Yarwood of Youngstown appeared as Ippolito’s defense lawyer.