A Columbus man will spend over 24 years in prison for child sexual abuse material.
A Columbus man will spend over 24 years in prison for child sexual abuse material. 27-year-old David Hamilton, of Heath, Ohio, acted with an unnamed co-defendant and possessed thousands of videos and images of child sexual abuse. Much of this media included “exploitation material involving babies, toddlers and children.”
Hamilton utilized the Telegram app to create detailed and graphic narratives of his crimes. The app is marketed as a “free, secure, and cloud-based messaging app [that] offers features like creating large group chats, sharing large files, and setting up bots.” Users praise its prioritization of privacy and data security.
Hamilton’s messages within Telegram included expressions of his strong desire to sexually abuse young boys, including a plan to “babysit an approximately 6-year-old boy, drug him with an anti-depressant, and sexually abuse him.” David Hamilton and his co-defendant also discussed starting a “family of all boys whom they could sexually abuse together.”
Law enforcement officers executed search warrants at Hamilton’s home and uncovered a bag belonging to Hamilton containing “two types of anti-depressants, children’s overnight diapers in a variety of sizes, lubricating jelly, condoms and stuffed animals.”
The FBI received a report from an additional minor who was exploited by David Hamilton. The young boy was asked to send explicit photos to Hamilton, and then instructed to upload the sexual abuse material to various platforms. Hamilton threatened the young boy, forcing him to comply. The minor confirmed Hamilton was part of online groups that posted about raping, drugging, injuring, and killing minors.
David Hamilton pleaded guilty to charges including the creation and possession of child sexual abuse material in August of 2024. The recent sentencing puts Hamilton behind bars for 293 months.
Authors: Andy Goldwasser and Alexis Kabat
