Mahoning Valley Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offenses

CLEVELAND - A Columbiana County man was sentenced to federal prison for receiving, distributing, and possessing hundreds of child sexual abuse files.

Scotty L. Skiba, 39, of Salem, Ohio, was sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams, after pleading guilty in February to Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). He was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $40,000 in restitution to victims. He was additionally ordered to pay $10,000 toward the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act, which was established in 2018 to provide monetary assistance for victims of child sexual abuse.

According to court documents and evidence presented in court, from about July 2024 to June 2025, investigators found that Skiba was knowingly receiving and distributing digital files that contained images of the sexual abuse of children. During the execution of a search warrant execution at his residence, multiple electronic devices were seized. Forensic analysis revealed that Skiba possessed more than 1,500 images and videos of CSAM on his devices. Numerous videos depicting the rape, bondage, and torture of children were more than five minutes long, with at least one video nearly an hour in length. Investigators also learned that Skiba had previously engaged in sexual contact with two minors.

The investigation leading to the indictment was led by the FBI Youngstown Resident Agency and the Mahoning Valley Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the Noble County Sheriff's Office and the Southeastern Human Trafficking Task Force.

Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.orgLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link., or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.