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Man gets eight years in prison on child porn charges
By Peter H. MILLIKEN
YOuNGSTOWN
Jason E. Gruber, 37, of Woodland Avenue, Campbell, has been sentenced to eight years in prison after he pleaded guilty to 10 counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor.
Gruber, who pleaded guilty in June, drew the sentence Friday from Judge Shirley J. Christian of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
Two of the counts Gruber pleaded guilty to said he disseminated child pornography Dec. 3, 2015.
The other eight counts he pleaded guilty to said he possessed child-pornography videos and images Feb. 18 this year.
The prosecution dismissed an additional 40 pandering obscenity counts that alleged possession of child porn.
The prosecution recommended 10 years in prison for Gruber, whose case was investigated by the cybercrimes unit of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
“The victims in this case are actual children that are being depicted in pornographic films,” Kevin Trapp, an assistant county prosecutor, told the judge.
“It’s obviously a very heinous crime and one that’s really an assault to the senses for any decent human being,” he added.
Asking the judge to consider a two-year prison term, Gruber’s lawyer, Michael Gollings, said he believes Gruber downloaded the child porn for his own use and never intended to share it with anyone.
Judge Christian said, however, the evidence before her shows he disseminated some of it.
Gruber, who apologized for his crimes and will be on post-release control for five years after prison, must register as a sex offender every six months for 25 years.
Gruber said he intends to live in North Carolina after his release.