Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that Holden Gallagher, 29, of Sylvania, Ohio, was sentenced on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, by U.S. District Judge James G. Carr to 30 years in prison and lifetime supervised release following prison, after Gallagher pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, receipt and distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
“The Justice Department and law enforcement in this region will work tirelessly to deter and prosecute those why prey upon our children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler. “Mr. Gallagher, a repeat offender, has earned this lengthy prison sentence and will no longer be able to abuse others.”
“Criminal misconduct with the intent to exploit children is reprehensible,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith. “The investigative work of the FBI underscores our duty to protect children from heinous individuals. Our partnerships with federal and state investigators in concert with local agencies continue to make an impact in our communities to thwart predatory behavior.”
According to court documents, on July 31, 2015, law enforcement investigators executed a federal search warrant at a Sylvania residence suspected of sharing digital files of child pornography. During the execution of the warrant, investigators obtained several electronic devices, including a laptop and hard drive.
Investigators searched the electronic devices and discovered that they contained numerous files of child pornography. Additionally, investigators determined that some of the images contained a depiction of a minor known to Gallagher. It was also determined that Gallagher had corresponded with the minor victim and gotten the minor to produce images of child pornography.
At the time of the offense conduct, Gallagher was a registered sex offender following a 2011 conviction for gross sexual imposition of a minor for which Gallagher was still on probation.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and state and federal investigators on the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, including the lead investigator from Defiance County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracey Ballard Tangeman and Angelita Cruz Bridges.