Strongsville Man Must Register as Sex Offender

A Strongsville man has been sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to 72 counts related to child pornography.

Bruce Mazur, 64, of Greenbrier Drive, must also register as a Tier 2 sexual offender with the Cuyahoga County Sheriff, said Maria Russo, spokeswoman for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty.

He was also fined $5,000.

Prosecutors say Mazur downloaded child pornography through a peer-to-peer file sharing program between Feb. 17, 2010 and July 11, 2012, when the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force raided his home.

A computer, hard drives, CDs, DVDs, tapes and a cell phone were confiscated during the raid. 

On March 21, Mazur pleaded guilty to 62 counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor; nine counts of minor in nude material; and one count of possessing criminal tools, with forfeiture specifications.

Mazur was among 20 adults and one juvenile indicted as part of “Operation Rise and Shine” last year, which McGinty said targeted traders of child pornography across the state.

Using new technology, detectives identified IP addresses being used to trade and download child pornography pictures and videos.

Between March and October, law enforcement officers from 21 agencies executed 31 search warrants on homes in 19 communities throughout Cuyahoga County.

Officers seized 2,455 items like computers, external hard drives, thumb drives, CDs and DVDs. An additional 76 cases were referred to 57 other law enforcement agencies in Ohio and one in Michigan.