A Kirtland man is facing a sweeping 32-count felony indictment accusing him of creating sexual images and videos of minors, according to prosecutors. Steven B. Hillebrecht, 47, was arrested June 17 and now has a criminal case pending in Geauga County Common Pleas Court, where his arraignment is set for 1:30 p.m. Aug. 12 in Chardon.
The charges stem from a Geauga County grand jury indictment that followed an investigation led by the Chester Township Police Department, with support from the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, according to Cleveland.com. Prosecutors say investigators served a search warrant at Hillebrecht’s former home and seized digital evidence they contend backs up the allegations.
Indictment details
According to the indictment, prosecutors say the alleged conduct took place between February 2023 and October 2025 and includes a mix of sex-related offenses. Hillebrecht is charged with 14 counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and 12 counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance. The filing also lists four counts of voyeurism, one count of pandering obscenity involving a minor and one count of possessing criminal tools. It further seeks forfeiture of a storage device, a computer and four mobile phones, Cleveland.com reports.
Search, seized devices and court date
Prosecutors say the items collected during the search have been folded into the grand jury filing and will be part of the evidence reviewed during pretrial discovery. Hillebrecht is scheduled to appear for arraignment in the General Division of the Geauga County Court of Common Pleas, housed at 100 Short Court Street in Chardon. The Geauga County Court of Common Pleas website maintains the public docket and records for criminal cases handled there.
State-level resources and investigation help
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation operates a Special Victims unit that, as described on the state Attorney General’s site, assists local departments with child exploitation investigations and digital forensics work. Those Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation resources are regularly used in cases involving alleged creation or sharing of child sexual abuse material.
Legal note
An indictment is a set of accusations, not proof of guilt. Hillebrecht will have a chance to enter a plea at his arraignment, after which the case is expected to move through discovery, pretrial hearings and any eventual trial or negotiated resolution.
