Lambert sentenced to 11 years on child porn charges

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Bob Lambert, the former director of the Visitors Bureau of Highland County, was sentenced Friday to 11 years in prison on two felony counts related to child pornography.

The sentence includes a recommendation that Lambert serve his time in a federal medical prison in Lexington, or “the closest appropriate facility to Cincinnati, Ohio.”

The facility, “FMC Lexington,” is described as “an administrative security federal medical center with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp.”

Judge Susan J. Dlott of the U.S. District Court for Southern Ohio also ordered Lambert to participate in the bureau of prisons’ sex offender treatment program. After he is released, he will be on eight years of supervised release.

Lambert was ordered to report to prison “as notified by the U.S. Marshal,” but no sooner than March 6, 2018, according to the order.

The federal prosecutor in the case had asked for a prison sentence of more than 16 years for Lambert, while the defense attorneys requested a sentence of no more than the minimum of 5 years.

Lambert was indicted in September 2016 by a federal grand jury on two counts of producing or attempting to produce child pornography, and one count each of possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography.

The indictments say that between June 1 and June 25, 2016, Lambert “did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice and coerce a minor… to engage in sexually explicit conduct… for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct… which visual depiction was produced using materials that had been mailed, shipped and transported in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce by any means, including by computer.”

Lambert pled guilty last July to possession and distribution of child pornography, while the two other charges involving the production of child pornography were dismissed.

Lambert was arrested at his Hillsboro home on Aug. 9, 2016, after the Hillsboro Police Department received information regarding “criminal activity involving sexual acts with minors at a residence in the 400 block of East Main Street,” according to a press release at the time from HPD. “During this investigation officers received information that led to a search warrant being served” at Lambert’s residence, police said.

Police took various electronic devices and other items after executing the search warrant and placing Lambert under arrest

Police had originally charged Lambert with second-degree felony illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented material or performance, and fifth-degree felony pandering obscenity with a minor, according to court records. The local charges were dropped after Lambert was indicted by the federal grand jury.

Hillsboro Mayor Drew Hastings was one of eight people who wrote letters to the judge on Lambert’s behalf in advance of Lambert’s sentencing. Hastings said Wednesday he wrote the letter at Lambert’s request based on their 36-year friendship.

“I don’t abandon my friends,” said Hastings.

Reach Gary Abernathy at 937-393-3456 or on Twitter @abernathygary.

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