Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
CLEVELAND – A Lorain County man who pretended to own a modeling agency has been sentenced to prison for grooming children into sending him sexually explicit images through the social media platform, Snapchat.
Joshua R. Glover, 36, of Elyria, Ohio, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster after pleading guilty in July to receipt and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and to possession of child pornography, which is also known as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Glover was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and to pay $2,000 in assessments toward a monetary reserve for victims of CSAM. Judge Polster imposed the sentence Nov. 25, 2025.
“Glover’s vile and despicable manipulation of underage girls has come to an end. He will no longer commit these heinous and horrendous crimes against vulnerable children,” said United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “We are immensely grateful to the FBI Cleveland for the thorough investigation that led to Glover’s three-decades-long sentence to keep him behind bars where he cannot continue this predatory behavior.”
According to court documents, from January 2022 to January 2024, Glover used Snapchat to engage with hundreds of minor girls under the guise of owning a modeling agency. His typical victims ranged in age from 12-15 years old and were located throughout the country. Investigators found that Glover repeatedly sent requests for sexually explicit photos and videos to young girls with the lure of joining his modeling agency and receiving payment for their images and videos. Glover initiated over 18,000 chats and conversed with some victims for years—building relationships where he directed the type of sexual activity the minors engaged in and offered to meet with them in person to engage in sex.
“Contacting, coercing, and preying on young girls through social media to gain their trust and elicit inappropriate behavior is cold and callous,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “This sentence underscores the commitment of not only the FBI, but also our federal, state, and local partners who will ensure a full and thorough investigation that leads to taking predators like Glover offline and out of our neighborhoods. The FBI will continue to work collaboratively to combine resources and share expertise to identify those who commit these appalling crimes and find justice for the victims.”
Federal search warrants of Glover’s digital devices and online accounts revealed Glover possessed approximately 100 files of CSAM. By his own admission, Glover estimated he received images and videos of CSAM from over 90 different minors.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division.
The prosecution in this case was led by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer King.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
###