Suspect Faces Federal Charges Following Investigation into Online Activity
A former licensed marriage and family therapist based in Beverly Hills has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of distributing child sexual abuse material, according to an announcement made by the Justice Department today.
Ron Gad, 49, residing in the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles, was charged Thursday with one count of distribution of child pornography. Gad, whose marriage and family therapist license expired in November 2023, is currently out on a $250,000 bond. He is expected to appear for arraignment on May 3 in the United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to the indictment, Gad allegedly distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM) involving a pre-teen via the internet on December 2, 2021. The material was transported across state lines.
Previously filed court documents reveal that in the fall of 2022, law enforcement discovered Gad engaging in sexually explicit online conversations with an individual he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. However, the recipient was an undercover law enforcement officer.
In October 2022, Gad purportedly traveled over 180 miles from Beverly Hills to San Luis Obispo for a rendezvous at a public park, under the impression he would meet the “girl.” Upon arrival, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop, leading to Gad’s arrest and seizure of multiple digital devices, as per an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint.
Subsequent searches of Gad’s digital devices, authorized by a search warrant, allegedly revealed evidence of his distribution of CSAM, along with communications with suspected minors and internet searches related to sex with minors.
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office initially pressed charges against Gad in state court, which were subsequently dismissed to facilitate federal charges. An indictment and complaint are allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
If convicted, Gad could face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison, with a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years. The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.
Individuals with additional information concerning the case are encouraged to contact HSI’s tip line at (866) 347-2423.
Assistant United States Attorneys Damaris Diaz of the Violent and Organized Crimes Section and Angela C. Makabali of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
