ABERDEEN, OHIO MAN ARRESTED AFTER FEDERAL INDICTMENT ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES

Timothy P. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Cincinnati Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and U.S. Attorney Gregory G. Lockhart, Southern District of Ohio, announced the arrest of  Michael Stidham, age 39 of Aberdeen, Ohio as the result of a federal indictment.  Stidham was arrested at his home this morning without incident by FBI agents and Village of Aberdeen police officers.

The Grand Jury for the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, indicted Stidham on February 7, 2007, charging him in a five count indictment with violations of Title 18, U.S. Code Sections 2252(a)(1)and 2252(b)(1), Interstate Shipment of Child Pornography;  and Title 18, U.S. Code Sections 2252(a)(4) and  2252(b)(2), Possession of Child Pornography.   The four counts charging violations of the shipment statutes carry a maximum penalty of five to twenty years imprisonment.  The count charging possession carries a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment.

The indictment charges that in May 2003 Stidham transmitted, via computer, four images of  minors engaging in a sexually explicit acts.  The indictment further charges that in February 2004 Stidham possessed depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit acts.

The indictment also seeks the federal forfeiture of certain property owned or controlled by Stidham including computers and computer discs.

SAC Murphy and U.S. Attorney Lockhart praised the work of the FBI agents and the Assistant U.S. Attorney which led to this indictment and arrest.  They also thanked Mayor Robert Meadows of the Village of Aberdeen as well as the West Union, Ohio Police Department and the Maysville, Kentucky Police Department whose officers provided logistical assistance in the arrest of Stidham.

Stidham will receive an initial appearance in federal court at Cincinnati this afternoon.

The public is reminded that criminal indictments contain only allegations of criminal misconduct and that a defendant is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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