Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Robert Arthur Ginder (34, Callahan) has been charged by federal criminal complaint with access with intent to view child exploitation material. Ginder faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Ginder has been detained pending a hearing scheduled for October 23, 2020.
According to the complaint, an investigation was initiated by law enforcement after they gained access to a cloud platform and a group chat where users were actively involved in the distribution of child exploitation material. Law enforcement observed that when one particular user joined the group chat, numerous image and video files depicting child exploitation material were shared between various members of the group.
Further investigation by Homeland Security Investigations identified Ginder’s residence as the source of the IP addresses that had been used by the account on the cloud platform. On October 20, 2020, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Ginder’s residence, and he was subsequently arrested.
A criminal complaint is only an allegation and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
This is another case that was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.