On January 12, 2024, the Honorable Judge Daniel Padden of the Guernsey County Common Pleas Court sentenced Robert L. Schumacher, age 42 of Byesville, OH. This sentencing hearing stemmed from a child exploitation investigation in late 2023 conducted by the Investigations Division at the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Schumacher entered a guilty plea to three counts of Pandering Sexually-Oriented Matter Involving a Minor or Impaired Person both felonies of the 2nd degree and four counts of Pandering Obscenity Involving a Minor or Impaired Person also felonies of the 2nd degree. Schumacher received a sentence of 28-30 years of imprisonment. Schumacher has also been ordered to register as a Tier II Sex Offender.
Sheriff Jeffrey D. Paden said this investigation involved forensically reviewing multiple digital devices that contained countless illicit images and videos., and praised the tireless and relentless work from his detectives and HSI Special Agents.
