On November 4, 2026, Leonard Paul Funk Jr., 45, of Brunswick, Ohio, was arrested and placed into federal custody without incident at his residence, according to the FBI Cleveland Field Office. Funk has been charged with multiple offenses related to child sexual abuse, including receiving and distributing visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors.

The investigation began in Spring 2026 and involved several law enforcement agencies, including the FBI Pittsburgh Task Force and the Allegheny County Police. Funk is currently a registered Tier 1 Sex Offender with the Medina County Sheriff’s Office.

Press Release: FBI Cleveland Field Office

Published November 6, 2026. Reproduced in full from the FBI Cleveland Field Office.

FBI Akron Investigation Leads to Arrest of Brunswick Man Charged with Child Sexual Abuse Crimes

CLEVELAND, OH: The FBI Cleveland, Akron Resident Agency, the Brunswick Police Department, Medina County Sheriff’s Office, Tiffin Police Department, and the Allegheny County (PA.) Police Department, announce the federal arrest of Leonard Paul Funk Jr., 45, of Brunswick, Ohio.

Beginning in the Spring of 2026, Funk began conversing and engaging in illicit behavior with a minor subject online. In September 2026, the FBI Pittsburgh Task Force, Allegheny County Police, and FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force were made aware of Funk’s online exchanges and interactions with additional minor subjects.

Funk’s conduct spanned from the Toledo, Ohio area to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a result, a joint investigation was initiated by the FBI, with interagency cooperation leading to the successful identification of Funk. Funk is currently a registered Tier 1 Sex Offender with the Medina County Sheriff’s Office in Medina County, Ohio.

On Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Funk was located, arrested, and placed into federal custody without incident at his residence in Brunswick, Ohio. He has been charged with:

  • 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2), receiving, distributing, reproducing or otherwise handling visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors using interstate, foreign, or electronic means
  • 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B), transmitting receiving, and/or possessing child sexual abuse material,
  • 18 U.S.C. § 1470, using telecommunications to transmit child sexual abuse material or other prohibited content,

Funk had his initial appearance in federal court in Ohio on November 4, 2026.

The federal complaint has been unsealed. Information outside of the complaint affidavit cannot be provided. An indictment is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Any questions regarding this news release can be directed to FBI Cleveland Public Affairs Officer [email protected].