Franklin County Sheriff's Office investigators helped seize more than 20 electronic devices from a Columbus man's home as part of a federal child pornography investigation, leading to a charge that carries up to 30 years in prison.
Adam Burley, 42, was charged with one count of advertising child pornography in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced Aug. 13.
Advertising child pornography is a more serious federal offense than possession. Federal prosecutors allege Burley actively distributed and promoted child sexual abuse material on the dark web, sharing hundreds of messages containing images depicting toddlers and children since 2025, according to 10TV, citing the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Investigators executed a search warrant at Burley's Columbus home on Aug. 12, seizing the devices, according to court documents cited in the 10TV report. A forensic preview of those devices turned up more than 1,000 image and video files.
Local law enforcement role
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office, which provides law enforcement services to Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff, served as the local arm of the federal investigation alongside the Department of Homeland Security. Sheriff Dallas Baldwin leads the office, which operates an Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that has participated in multiple statewide child exploitation operations.
In September 2025, when the sheriff's office participated in Operation Next Door, a statewide human trafficking sting, Baldwin said, "This effort reflects the collaboration of law enforcement agencies and our shared commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals and holding offenders accountable."
The sheriff's office has not publicly commented on the Burley case.
What comes next
The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The case is being prosecuted in Massachusetts because the federal investigation was led by that district's U.S. Attorney's Office.
He has not been convicted.
No arraignment date or next court appearance has been publicly announced. Burley is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Residents who suspect online child exploitation can report tips to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at CyberTipline.org or call 1-800-843-5678.
