Wakeman man pleads guilty to child porn charges

NORWALK — A Wakeman man pleaded guilty Wednesday to possessing and sharing child pornography. Jonathan L. Cotner, 33, 5500 block U.S. 20, pleaded guilty to two counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person, each a second-degree felony. Cotner pleaded guilty to the two charges in exchange for four additional counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person, which includes both second- and fourth-degree felonies to be dismissed. When sentenced, Cotner will likely be classified as a Tier 2 sex offender, which means that he must verify home and work addresses every six months for 25 years, according to Cotner's guilty plea form. Cotner is scheduled to be sentenced at 1 p.m. on Oct. 20. Background The investigation into Cotner began after the Huron County Sheriff's Office received a tip from Ohio's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and executed a search warrant related to emails Cotner allegedly sent or received, according to Norwalk Municipal Court records. "The videos associated with the emails contained material of a minor engaging in and performing sexual activity," court documents state. Cotner allegedly admitted to having "possessed the material" and forwarded it to at least three other people on or about Aug. 30, 2024, court documents state.