MARION, Ohio (WCMH) — A former Galion City Schools athletic trainer was sentenced to prison on Friday after being convicted of child pornography charges.

Jon Vitello, of Marion, was sentenced to 12 to 13.5 years in state prison on ten felony counts of possession and reproduction of child pornography, according to Prosecutor Ray Grogan. Vitello was arrested in March 2023 after the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force alerted officers to his possession of images portraying the sexual abuse of children.

Before his arrest, Vitello was contracted by a local healthcare provider to work at Galion City Schools as an athletic trainer. He was no longer employed by the district after the arrest. At the time, then-Superintendent Jennifer Allerding commented on his charges.

“It goes without saying that we are disturbed and disgusted by the allegations,” Allerding said in a letter addressed to the district’s families in March 2023.

Investigations revealed that Vitello had amassed a large collection of thousands of images and videos that included content depicting very young children in sexually abusive situations. In 2023, Allerding said that at least one photo that Vitello had allegedly downloaded from social media came from a Galion athletic event.

“Cases like this are a sobering reminder of the work still needed to protect our children,” Grogan said.