Butler County, Ohio — A 50-year-old Okeana woman has been arrested in a child exploitation investigation.
According to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, detectives began investigating Jan. 1 after receiving a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force regarding the alleged distribution of explicit material involving minors.
Sheriff Richard K. Jones said investigators identified Tanya McCreadie, 50, who resides in the 2100 block of California Road in Okeana, as a suspect in the case.
Detectives allege McCreadie disseminated videos and images depicting prepubescent children in states of nudity and engaged in sexual acts.
During the investigation, authorities obtained and executed a search warrant at the residence, where detectives interviewed McCreadie and seized multiple electronic devices believed to contain evidence.
A preliminary review of those devices allegedly revealed at least two images and/or videos consistent with the material described in the original report, investigators said. Detectives also determined that two of the images had been sent to other recipients, according to the sheriff’s office.
McCreadie has been arrested and charged with two counts of Pandering Obscenity Involving a Minor, both second-degree felonies under Ohio law.
The Butler County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remains ongoing as detectives conduct a full forensic examination of the seized electronic devices to determine whether additional material exists and whether other individuals may have been involved in the alleged distribution.
Sheriff Jones described the alleged offense as among the most disturbing crimes investigators encounter and said the agency will continue working to identify anyone involved in exploiting children.
Cases involving online exploitation are closely monitored by law enforcement, particularly as students and young internet users remain frequent targets of digital predators.
Authorities encourage anyone with information related to the investigation to contact the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.
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