COLUMBUS, Ohio – A volunteer youth sports coach from Westerville is due to appear in a federal courtroom Friday on child pornography charges.
Bryan Lehman, 50, is charged with allegedly producing, receiving, distributing and possessing child pornography, authorities announced.
Lehman, who volunteered as a coach for the Westerville Youth Baseball and Softball League this spring, has been charged in federal court with “use of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing images or video” beginning in November, 2010.
He also allegedly received, distributed, and possessed sexually explicit images and video of minors.
He is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Terrence Kemp.
Lehman’s arrest was announced Friday morning by U.S. Attorney Carter Stewart and federal and local authorities, including Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott and Westerville Police Chief Joseph Morbitzer.
The arrest was the result of an investigation by members of the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which consists of a dozen federal and local law enforcement agencies.
Prosecutors say Lehman faces 15 to 30 years in prison for production of child pornography and five to 20 years for each count of receipt and distribution of child pornography.