A 25-year-old Fort Mitchell man is facing federal charges after investigators say a search of his cellphone, seized following his arrest on a public intoxication charge, turned up sexually explicit videos of children. Preston Strittholt is charged in federal court in Covington with possession of child sexual abuse material, and he remains in federal custody as the case moves forward.
According to cincinnati.com, federal authorities seized Strittholt's phone after his public intoxication arrest in October 2026. An FBI agent said the search of that device revealed three sexually explicit videos involving a prepubescent girl, which investigators described as screen recordings of abuse videos streamed on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Strittholt appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Candace Smith for an initial hearing on Wednesday, per the same outlet's reporting. He remains in custody and is expected back in court on November 3 for a hearing concerning his continued detention while the case proceeds, according to WLWT, which also reported that investigators had received multiple online tips about Strittholt since 2024.
Tips Reaching Back Years
The case did not begin with the October 2026 arrest. Investigators had obtained two cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children dating to June 2024, including reports that accounts tied to Strittholt had uploaded abuse videos, the station's report notes. Those earlier tips suggest the FBI's interest in Strittholt predates the arrest that ultimately gave agents access to his phone.
A separate allegation involved a video of Strittholt and a young girl. Per the same account from cincinnati.com, the FBI received an anonymous complaint in July 2025 alleging that Strittholt kept a video of himself and a young girl on his cellphone. Local 12 reported that a tip received in July alleged Strittholt had a video of himself sexually abusing a girl whose mother had brought her to his house in exchange for drug money.
What Comes Next
If convicted, Strittholt faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The case remains in its early stages, with the next scheduled court date set for November 3. No additional details about the formal charging document or any plea have been made public.
