A former official of the Boy Scouts in Richland County has entered a guilty plea for secretly recording children and is now confronted with a potential prison sentence of up to thirty years.

Thomas Close, a former Richland County Boy Scout official, pleaded guilty to charges related to secretly filming boys and sharing the images online. Close also confessed to downloading child pornography, claiming to possess around five terabytes of illegal material. Homeland Security Special Agent Vance Callender praised the community’s support during the investigation and emphasised the importance of justice for the victims. The Boy Scouts of America Lake Erie Council cooperated with the investigation and had already barred Close from further participation.

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