Portsmouth Man charged with 71 counts of Pandering
The Portsmouth Ohio Police Department announces the arrest of Jarrod Drew Reffitt, age 44, of 5819 Farney Ave. in Portsmouth. Mr. Reffitt has been charged with 71 counts of Pandering Sexually Oriented Matter Involving a Minor. All counts are felonies of the 2nd degree.
The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) contacted the Portsmouth Police Department about information that they received about child sexual assault material being sent via the internet from the address at 5819 Farney Ave. in Portsmouth, Ohio. On Aug. 8, 2024, detectives from the Portsmouth Police Department, Scioto County SVU, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), executed a search warrant at 5819 Farney Ave. Investigators seized numerous electronic devices.
Further search warrants were served on those devices and social media sites. The results from the search warrants on the recovered electronic devices and the social media sites discovered that Jarrod Reffitt was in possession of an enormous amount of child sexual assault material.
The videos and images that were discovered are some of the most disturbing and vile videos and images of children, including infants, being sexually assault by adults.
On Sept. 20, 2024 Detective Tori Pistole presented the evidence to the Scioto County Grand Jury who in return indicted Mr. Reffitt for 71 counts of Pandering Sexually Oriented Matter Involving a Minor.
On Sept. 20, 2024, Mr. Reffitt was arrested for the above charges. Mr. Reffitt is currently being held in the Scioto County Jail awaiting his arraignment in Scioto County Common Pleas Court.
The Portsmouth Police Department was assisted in the investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children, Scioto County Prosecutor’s Office, the Scioto County Special Victim’s Unit, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification.
If anyone has any additional information about this case, they are encouraged to contact Detective Tori Pistole at 740-354-1600.
