Northeast Ohio man sentenced to 30 years in prison for child porn

A 30-year-old Lorain man is headed to prison for sexual exploitation of children and for possessing child pornography.

Charles Allen Nakoff Jr. was sentenced June 16 by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster to 30 years in prison and a life term of supervised release and ordered to pay $127,500 in restitution. Nakoff pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, transportation of child pornography, possession of child pornography and receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

“There is no tolerance in law enforcement nor society for those who harm, exploit and prey upon children,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler in a news release. “This office has placed a high priority on combating sexual exploitation of minors, and we will seek to hold these offenders accountable.”

“Nakoff preyed on the innocent, and our communities are safer with him behind bars,” said Homeland Security Investigations Detroit acting Special Agentin-Charge James C. Harris III. “It is my hope that today’s sentencing brings some measure of closure to his victims.”

According to court documents, in April 2020, law enforcement agents with Homeland Security Investigations began an investigation into Nakoff after receiving a tip that an online account associated with an individual later identified as Nakoff contained approximately 1,500 files depicting child exploitation material, including some victims as young as toddlers.

In July 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at Nakoff’s residence in Lorain and seized three phones and three computers, according to the release. Authorities then searched Nakoff’s phones and found additional visual depictions of child pornography as well as numerous conversations via a mobile messaging and file sharing application with other users discussing and trading child pornographic images, the release said.

During an analysis of the seized devices, investigators discovered several videos and images depicting Nakoff abusing multiple minor victims, the release said.

Investigators determined that these videos and images were self-produced by Nakoff and Rosalina C. Dragga, 33, of Lorain.

Dragga was sentenced to 121 months in prison for her role in the matter.

Homeland Security Investigations was the investigative agency.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik prosecuted the case.