Youngstown man gets two decade prison sentence for Sexual Exploitation of a Child
A Youngstown man who pleaded guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child in December will spend the next two decades in prison.
Andrew Strickland, 27, was sentenced to a 21 year sentence and an additional ten years of supervised release, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday. Strickland was accused of having a relationship with a 16-year-old boy he told said he met on Facebook. Strickland also faced allegations of forcing a 16-year-old to commit a sex act on an infant sibling.
"This defendant engaged in reprehensible behavior and perpetrated unspeakable crimes against the most vulnerable of victims," said Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler. "This lengthy sentence reflects our commitment to protecting vulnerable victims and punishing individuals who engage in this type of conduct."
According to court records, the victim complied with Strickland's demands out of fear that Strickland would harm the victim or the victim's family members.
This case was investigated by the Trumbull County Sheriff's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation-Crimes Against Children and the Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael A. Sullivan and Yasmine T. Makridis.
