Molly Elisabeth Duncan, a 26-year-old woman from Beachwood, Ohio, pleaded guilty on April 6 to multiple federal charges related to the sexual abuse of two children in her care while she was employed as their nanny.
The case highlights concerns about child safety and the risks posed by individuals in trusted caregiving positions. Duncan admitted to two counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children, Distribution of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct, and Possession of Child Pornography or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM).
According to court documents, Duncan worked as a nanny in Northeast Ohio from November 2023 through July 2024. During this period, she sexually abused one victim in Portage County and another in Geauga County—both under the age of two—and recorded the acts on her cellphone. The files were then distributed via a popular social media platform to multiple users. Investigators conducting a forensic analysis found several CSAM files depicting each victim on Duncan’s electronic devices.
Federal District Court Judge Pamela A. Barker accepted Duncan’s plea. Sentencing is scheduled for July 22. She faces up to 30 years in prison for each count of Sexual Exploitation of Children and up to 20 years for each distribution and possession charge. The final sentence will be determined by the judge after reviewing U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations’ Cleveland Field Office and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force with support from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret A. Kane and Michelle M. Baeppler are prosecuting the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation online through collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies across the country.
Anyone with information or wishing to report suspected child exploitation can visit cybertipline.org or call 1-800-843-5678 at any time.
