CINCINNATI — A Highland County man was in federal court Tuesday after he was charged with sexually exploiting minors from several states, said Dominick S. Gerace II, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.
Gerace said Mark A. Chandler, 37, has been charged with sexual exploitation of children, coercion and enticement and receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents, the Highland County Sheriff's Office received a tip regarding Chandler in November 2025. The sheriff's office found that Chandler allegedly paid at least five girls, including girls in California, Texas and Michigan, to engage in sexually explicit acts on video.
Chandler connected with the girls, who were all approximately 14 years old, on various social media apps. Gerace said that Chandler groomed the girls for up to two years, and he would pay them with Visa gift cards in exchange for sexual videos and photos.
Chandler also allegedly threatened to kill at least one of the victims if she "tattled" on him, according to screen recordings and messages on his electronic devices. The messages showed Chandler talked about drowning the girl or using knives to cut her throat.
According to Gerace, Chandler, who was originally arrested on local charges in Highland County, is facing decades in prison if convicted on all charges.
Sexual exploitation of children is a federal crime punishable by at least 15 years. Coercion and enticement is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison, and receipt of child pornography carries a sentence of between five to 20 years in prison.
