JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville man has been found guilty of using 'mommy blogs' to post sexually explicit comments that targeted mothers and their young children.
Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppman announced Thursday that a federal jury has found Colum Patrick Moran, Jr. 42, guilty of attempting to entice minors to produce images and videos depicting child sexual abuse and also of possessing materials depicting the sexual exploitation of children.
According to evidence presented during the trial, Moran made numerous posts to several internet motherhood blog websites requesting that several mothers produce and post images and videos of their children engaging in sexually explicit acts.
On March 6, 2019, FBI agents and other officers executed a search warrant at Moran’s apartment and reportedly seized several smartphones and computers that contained more than 1,000 images and videos depicting young children, including infants and toddlers, being sexually abused.
One of the smartphones had been reportedly used by Moran to access the blog websites.
Agents say they discovered a plastic storage bin in a bedroom closet that contained two dozen pairs of underage girls’ underwear. They also reportedly found several firearms, ammunition, and a bulletproof vest with Velcro law enforcement identification patches.
Moran faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to 110 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release.
A sentencing hearing is set for July 12, 2021. Moran was arrested on March 6, 2019, and has been in custody since that date.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
