The Justice Department shared that a former employee of Nationwide Children’s Hospital has pleaded guilty to downloading, exchanging, and receiving child pornography.
Ryan Ramos, 38, of Columbus, entered his guilty plea in US District Court on Tuesday to one count of distributing and receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography, the Justice Department shared in a press release.
While an employee of Nationwide Children’s Hospital from 2018 until 2020, Ramos treated child burn victims. From 2020 to 2023, Ramos worked at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in the ICU in burn trauma, the release shared.
Ramos has yet to be sentenced, but he is facing five to 20 years in prison.
Court documents shared that Ramos was found to have participated in a Signal app group dedicated to exchanging child pornography after the FBI launched an investigation in 2020.
The Justice Department shared that Ramos enchanted hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse, including that of young boys and infants.
It was then revealed through further investigation that in 2018, Ramos paid a sexual offender in New York City more than $500 through PayPal and received child pornography.
In total, Ramos sent more than 346,000 messages on platforms seeking, distributing, receiving, or discussing child pornography.
Ramos was charged on May 6 and initially pleaded guilty during his arraignment in federal court.
Ramos is in custody and pending sentencing.