Cavalier man sentenced for receiving child porn, failing to register as sex offender

Sav Kelly, Grand Forks Herald
·2 min read
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Aug. 10—GRAND FORKS — A Cavalier man was sentenced for federal crimes at the U.S. District Court in Fargo on Thursday, Aug. 10.

Cody John O'Hara, 35, was charged with receiving child pornography and failure to register as a sex offender. He was sentenced to 27 years, along with two more years for a supervised release violation.

"O'Hara's sentencing highlights the fact that predators will inevitably face significant penalties for their crimes that leave victims and families traumatized," said Jamie Holt, Homeland Security Investigations St. Paul special agent in charge. "HSI St. Paul will continue to fight against the exploitation of children and support victims by providing critical resources and services."

O'Hara was investigated after a U.S. probation officer discovered child pornography on O'Hara's cell phone, according to a press release from the North Dakota district of the U.S. Attorney's Office. In 2012, O'Hara was convicted of possessing and receiving materials involving the sexual exploitation of minors. He was sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, and was required to register as a sex offender.

Once released, O'Hara lived in Fargo during his supervised probation. Beginning in the summer of 2021 and continuing into early 2022, O'Hara's probation officer visited his residence several times but was unable to locate him. The probation officer eventually learned O'Hara was living at his girlfriend's residence in Moorhead, Minnesota, the release said.

O'Hara had to report to the probation office, where his probation officer requested to view his cell phone. The release said O'Hara initially lied, saying he didn't have his cell phone with him, but eventually admitted it was in his car.

Child pornography was discovered on the cell phone and, when it was later examined by the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations, it was determined there were nearly 500 child pornography images and videos.

"This decades-long sentence protects children in North Dakota and beyond," said U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider.