Evergreen Reporter

Jeremy Dean Chesser, a 42-year-old resident of Maumee, Ohio, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp II. Chesser pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually exploiting minors through the production of child pornography and to receiving and distributing such material. Alongside his prison sentence, he faces a lifetime of supervised release and must pay $21,000 in restitution and $15,300 in assessments.

Chesser's offenses occurred while he was employed as a firefighter and fathered ten children, including biological, adopted, and foster children. In 2022, he exploited a two-year-old child by producing child pornography involving the toddler. From 2022 to 2023, Chesser targeted another minor aged between 13 and 14 years old online by posing as a 16-year-old boy. He convinced the minor they were in a relationship and persuaded them to send sexually explicit photos.

A federal search warrant executed at Chesser’s residence led to the seizure of his cellphone, which contained a large volume of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) involving 65 other minors. Investigators found that Chesser had been involved in receiving and distributing child pornography for over ten years.

The investigation was carried out by the FBI-Toledo Field Office, FBI-New Haven Field Office in Connecticut, and the Maumee Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracey Tangeman and Frank Spryszak from the Northern District of Ohio.

To report incidents of child exploitation, individuals are encouraged to visit cybertipline.org or call 1-800-843-5678 at any time.