Ohio assistant high school volleyball coach arrested on federal child exploitation charges
An assistant volleyball coach at New Lexington High School was arrested by federal agents Friday on charges claiming he sexually exploited minors and distributed, received and possessed child pornography.
Clay Thomas Wolfe, 28, of Junction City, allegedly obtained child pornography from more than 100 victims via a mobile application since 2018.
The defendant appeared in federal court in Columbus at 1 p.m. Friday.
It is alleged Wolfe pretended to be a 15-year-old female on social media and used this persona to solicit child pornography from middle school and high school boys. The known victims resided in Pennsylvania; Minnesota; Chillicothe, Ohio; and other various cities in the Southern District of Ohio and across the United States.
Wolfe’s account also contained sexually explicit photographs and videos of minor males as young as 10 and 11 years of age.
Wolfe allegedly sent the male victims a photograph of a pubescent female’s naked breasts and images and videos of female genitalia as part of his persona.
According to social media records, between March 2022 and January 2023, Wolfe allegedly engaged in online communications with more than 100 other users. A forensic review of Wolfe’s online storage account also allegedly revealed more than 100 photos and videos of child sexual abuse material.
Sexual exploitation of a minor is a federal crime punishable by a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years up to 30 years in prison. Distribution and receipt of child pornography is punishable by a mandatory term of imprisonment of five years up to 20 years’ incarceration.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; announced the charges with the assistance and cooperation of the Perry County Sheriff’s Office and Perry County Prosecutor. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer M. Rausch and are representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.