A Lucas County man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse materials online. Steven Nowak, 55, of Toledo, Ohio, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp after pleading guilty in September 2025 to charges related to the receipt and distribution of child pornography. In addition to his prison term, Nowak was ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and pay $18,000 in restitution. The sentencing took place on March 3.
Federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating online groups trafficking in child sexual abuse materials early last year. Between January and April 2025, Nowak was identified as an active member of several such groups where he shared content depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants and toddlers. Authorities executed a search warrant at his residence and seized electronic devices containing numerous images and videos involving minors.
Nowak admitted that he shared photos of a minor family member online with the intent to receive sexual feedback from others involved in these groups.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara Al-Sorghali for the Northern District of Ohio.
“This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims,” according to information provided by officials.
For more details about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/PSC.
To report suspected child exploitation or abuse online or by phone at any time, individuals can contact https://cybertipline.org or call 1-800-843-5678.
