A former Columbus firefighter once assigned to a station on the city's east side has been sentenced to 80 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography, more than a year after federal agents traced his online messages to a co-defendant under investigation. Carson Bigham, 24, of Lancaster, pleaded guilty in February to receipt of child pornography and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael Watson to more than six years behind bars.
The sentence, handed down this week, comes 20 months above the five-year statutory mandatory minimum required under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A for receipt of child pornography, according to the Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School. The statute allows for a maximum of up to 20 years. Bigham's case was first reported by the Columbus Dispatch, whose reporting on his 80-month term forms the basis of the sentencing timeline described here.
How Investigators Connected the Dots
Bigham was formally charged through a federal bill of information in January and entered his guilty plea the following month, waiving his right to a grand jury indictment as part of a plea agreement, per the U.S. Attorney's Office Southern District of Ohio. That mechanism is typically used in federal court when a defendant agrees up front to plead guilty rather than face a grand jury.
Federal court records show Bigham used the alias “daddy” on Snapchat and Kik to communicate with co-defendant Richard “Tyler” Campbell starting in August 2024. The two later met in person at a restaurant to view child sexual abuse material on Campbell's phone, according to the same federal court records. The investigation into Bigham's conduct began as part of a broader inquiry into Campbell, which stemmed from CyberTips filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Prosecutors Detail Aggravating Conduct
According to statements released by federal prosecutors, Bigham actively solicited Campbell for images of a fictitious female minor he believed existed, and separately requested files depicting prepubescent children. Prosecutors say Bigham received child pornography files between August 2024 and May 2025, a stretch during which he was actively employed as a Columbus firefighter. Court documents indicate Bigham was not a passive recipient in the exchanges; he used aliases across Snapchat, Kik, and Sniffies to solicit explicit images, met Campbell in person to view abuse files, and specifically requested content involving prepubescent victims.
The federal sentencing guidelines assign higher offense levels when victims are under the age of 12, and receipt offenses are frequently enhanced when files depict prepubescent minors or involve active online solicitation, according to the United States Sentencing Commission. That framework helps explain why Bigham's term landed well above the statutory floor.
Denied Bond, Held as a Danger to the Community
Before his conviction, U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley denied Bigham's motion for pretrial release in November 2025, ordering him detained without bond after finding clear and convincing evidence that he posed a danger to the community. Federal judges commonly deny bond in child exploitation cases involving explicit requests for victim abuse, a pattern reflected in Bigham's own detention order.
The joint investigation that led to Bigham's prosecution was led by the Franklin County Sheriff's Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, working alongside Homeland Security Investigations Detroit, the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office, and the DEA Columbus Airport Group, per the U.S. Attorney's Office. Regional ICAC task forces routinely pair local sheriff's deputies with federal agents from HSI to build these digital exploitation cases.
A Third-Generation Firefighter's Fall
Bigham, a third-generation firefighter, joined the Columbus Division of Fire in December 2021 and was assigned to Station 5 on McNaughten Road in East Columbus, which serves the city's eastern sector, according to WBNS 10TV. Following his arrest last year, Bigham was placed on administrative leave before formally resigning from the division on May 29, 2025, just eight days after federal charges were announced.
Hoodline previously reported on Bigham's initial arrest in Lancaster, his Station 5 assignment, his administrative leave, and his first court appearance before a magistrate judge. At the time, Local 67 Columbus Fire Union President Steve Stein said the department's more than 1,600 personnel are held to high ethical standards and that Bigham's alleged actions did not reflect the values of the union or the division.
