CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O'Malley on Thursday announced charges against three men arrested in separate incidents connected with a child pornography and exploitation sting.
Cleveland Heights native Eric Bartlett, North Royalton resident John Orr, and Euclid's Christopher Perry were all handed indictments of at least 17 counts each. All are charged with pandering sexually-oriented material involving a minor, illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance, and possessing criminal tools.
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Authorities say Bartlett, 39, had already been registered as a Tier II sex offender for crimes that occurred outside of Cuyahoga County. In this latest case, he is accused of using a fake identity to message with children on social media and exchanging sexually explicit material with them. Local, state, and federal officials raided his home near Revere and Grosvenor Roads less than two weeks ago.
The 22-year-old Orr and 52-year-old Perry are alleged to have also obtained illegal images through social media, with searches also occurring at their respective residences last October. According to court records, neither has a prior criminal history in the county.
Bartlett posted bond at his initial court appearance last month and is set to be formally arraigned this coming Monday, while bond for Orr and Perry has not been listed and both will be arraigned on Feb. 23. If convicted of all charges, all three defendants could potentially face more than 100 years in prison.
These cases were investigated by the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which is run by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office. Tips initially came in from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.