Ex-Ohio school athletic trainer sentenced to prison for possession, reproduction of child porn

GALION, Ohio — A former athletic trainer at an Ohio school district is going to prison for possessing child sexual abuse images.

Jon Vitello, 39, of Marion, was sentenced Friday to 12 to 13.5 years in prison after being convicted on 10 counts of possession and reproduction of child pornography, according to our news partners at WBNS in Columbus.

>> Man indicted on additional charges after 3rd child reports sexual abuse

Vitello was arrested last year by the Marion Police Department after the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force alerted them to possible crimes.

Vitello was an athletic trainer with Galion City Schools at the time. He worked in the district, located roughly an hour north of Columbus, for five years and was a contracted employee through a local healthcare provider.

Through their investigation, detectives did not find evidence that would suggest he was involved in any illegal or inappropriate activity involving students, WBNS reported.

>> 2 arrested after crystal meth, firearms found during search

In a statement to parents, Galion City Schools Superintendent Jennifer Allerding said that while there was no evidence of inappropriate contact with students in the district, Vitello did save photos from social media sites. At least one photo was from a district sporting event posted by the district’s athletic department.

Since 2019, Vitella had gathered thousands of images and videos, including content showing very young children in sexually abusive situations.

©2024 Cox Media Group