DAYTON — A Dayton man learned his punishment after being convicted of federal child pornography charges.
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David Snell, 37, was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for coercing and enticing children to send him pornographic images and videos.
According to court documents, from May to July 2024, Snell used various Reddit accounts to identify and target vulnerable minors and to communicate with two 16 and 17-year-old girls.
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“Snell groomed these minors and coerced and enticed them to send him child pornography images and videos – including degrading depictions of sexual activity and acts of self-harm – for Snell’s sexual enjoyment," a release by the Department of Justice stated.
As News Center 7 has previously reported, Snell has held several jobs over the years that involved working with children across the Miami Valley.
His most recent job was at Mini University’s “Hope Center” in Dayton.
In a statement on social media, Mini University said Snell was “briefly employed” there and was fired as soon as they learned of his arrest.
They said Snell was “only in the centers a few days and was always accompanied by other staff members. There is no indication from any law enforcement that Mini University or any of the children in our care have been impacted in any way from Mr. Snell’s behavior.”
West Carrollton Schools also confirmed that Snell coached girls’ soccer for the district for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The district said they vetted and backgrounded him before hiring him.
“During his employment, there were no complaints or concerns brought to the attention of anyone in the school district,” a statement from the district said.
Snell worked as a sixth-grade teacher for Northwestern Local Schools during 2015-2016, and Winton Woods City Schools from 2016-2018 as a teacher and high school boys’ soccer coach.
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