A Richland County man formerly affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America pleaded guilty in federal court to sexual exploitation of children after he surreptitiously recorded children changing before and after swimming.

Thomas Close, 39, of Shelby, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of receiving and distributing child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced January 15.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Close is expected to be sentenced to between 27 and 33 years in prison.

According to an affidavit filed in the case:

Homeland Security Investigations agents received information from the Cyber Crimes Center regarding videos taken of minor boys changing before or after swimming at the YMCA in Sandusky.

A review of several videos revealed they were recorded at the YMCA facility in Sandusky, which sometimes rented its pool to the Boy Scouts, inside teepees used at the Firelands Scout Reservation in Wakeman, as well as inside the bathroom of a home that appeared to have a swimming pool.

Investigators met with Boy Scouts of America officials in Cleveland, whose area includes seven counties. Due to the fact that all of the photos appear to revolve around changing before or after swimming, Boy Scout officials alerted investigators to an incident report from June 2017 documenting an occurrence at the Firelands Scout Reservation they felt could be related. The report was made by a den leader regarding a Boy Scouts of America staff member named Thomas Close, also known as “Aqua Joe,” according to the affidavit.

Close was associated with Boy Scout Troop 406 and had a pool in his back yard.

HSI investigators went to Close’s home on November 1, 2018. Upon viewing his bathroom, they realized it is the same bathroom depicted in one of the videos. Close admitted to making the videos and said he created videos between 2011 and the summer of 2018, according to the affidavit.

He also admitted to downloading child pornography and said he had approximately five terabytes of child pornography on his computer, according to the affidavit.

“This defendant used his position of trust to exploit several children and cause harm that will likely linger for years for his victims and their families,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “This defendant needs to be locked up for decades and today’s plea is another important step in making sure that happens.”

"Mr. Close's admission today will hopefully begin the healing process for all of those who have been impacted by his heinous crimes," said Vance Callender, HSI special agent in charge for Michigan and Ohio. "I commend the community who supported this sensitive investigation and the pursuit of justice throughout this difficult period.  Among its many types of investigations, HSI looks to bring swift justice to perpetrators of child exploitation through a victim centered approach."

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley said: “Hard work by law enforcement has taken another child predator off the street.  We will continue to work with our federal partners to put an end to these crimes.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Shelby Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik.

Thomas Close is awaiting trial on charges of production of child pornography related to his alleged surreptitious recording of boys changing after swimming as part of Boy Scout activities.

Close, 40, lived in Richland County. He was known as “Aqua Joe” because he worked with the Boy Scouts of America, often with their swimming program.

Close is accused of secretly recording boys changing after they swam. His alleged crimes are believed to have happened in Ohio between 2011 and 2018. Close remains in jail pending the outcome of his federal criminal case.

If anyone suspects they or their children were recorded by the defendant, they are asked to email their contact information to Homeland Security Investigations at HSI-CLOSE-Investigation@ice.dhs.gov. Please attach a photo of the child in question, preferably a photo that was taken around the years that CLOSE would have had contact with your child you or your child had contact with Mr. Close so investigators can positively identify or rule out if the child is associated with this case. A member of the investigative team will respond to your request.

The privacy of crime victims and survivors is of the utmost importance. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will do everything in its power to protect the privacy of anyone who responds to this inquiry.

A Richland County man affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America was arrested and charged in federal court with production of child pornography after he surreptitiously recorded children changing.

Thomas Close, 39, of Shelby, was charged with sexual exploitation of children and receiving and distributing child pornogrpahy. The investigation is ongoing.

According to an affidavit filed in the case:

Homeland Security Investigations agents received information from the Cyber Crimes Center regarding videos taken of minor boys changing before or after swimming at the YMCA in Sandusky.

A review of several videos revealed they were recorded at the YMCA facility in Sandusky, which sometimes rented its pool to the Boy Scouts, inside teepees used at the Firelands Scout Reservation in Wakeman, as well as inside the bathroom of a home that appeared to have a swimming pool.

Investigators met with Boy Scouts of America officials in Cleveland, whose area includes seven counties. Due to the fact that all of the photos appear to revolve around changing before or after swimming, Boy Scout officials alerted investigators to an incident report from June 2017 documenting an occurrence at the Firelands Scout Reservation they felt could be related. The report was made by a den leader regarding a Boy Scouts of America staff member named Thomas Close, also known as “Aqua Joe,” according to the affidavit.

Close is associated with Boy Scout Troop 406 and has a pool in his back yard.

HSI investigators went to Close’s home on Nov. 1. Upon viewing his bathroom, they realized it is the same bathroom depicted in one of the videos. Close admitted to making the videos and said he created videos between 2011 and the summer of 2018, according to the affidavit.

He also admitted to downloading child pornography and said he had approximately five terabytes of child pornography on his computer, according to the affidavit.

“This case was solved because of good investigative work but also because a parent who was trained to look for signs of suspicious activity raised their concerns to Scout leadership,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “We all have an obligation to be aware of what is taking place around us and let authorities know when there are concerns.”

“This individual is accused of violating his position of trust with the Boy Scouts and as a teacher to exploit and take advantage of young people under his supervision," said Steve Francis, special agent in charge of HSI for Michigan and Ohio. "The exploitation of children is reprehensible, and HSI has highly skilled and dedicated special agents to investigate child exploitation crimes to ensure that we identify and arrest perpetrators while protecting our most vulnerable population, our children."

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than maximum. 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Shelby Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik.

A charge is only an allegation and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Anyone with knowledge of the man’s unsupervised contact with children should contact HSI at 216-749-9602.