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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Attorney Sanctioned Over Pictures Of Nude Children

COLUMBUS, Ohio (CN) - The Ohio Supreme Court suspended the law license of Cleveland attorney Jay Alan Goldblatt indefinitely, after he tried to arrange a sexual encounter with an underage girl and then violated his community sanctions by storing 11 pictures of naked children on his computer.

In July 2004 Goldblatt tried to set up a meeting with a minor through a series of recorded phone calls with an undercover FBI agent, the ruling explains. He agreed to meet the FBI agent at a local park after the agent promised to bring a young girl. Goldblatt had asked for "something young," a girl of about "9 or 10 or 11," and "the younger the better." He also agreed to pay $200 "to do as much sexually with the child as that amount would buy," the ruling states. Goldblatt then left his office, withdrew $200 from his bank account and drove to the park.

He later insisted that he went to the park "to talk to a pimp about the possibility of hooking up with a young girl for sex," but did not know if he would have gone through with it.

Cuyahoga County Court found Goldblatt guilty of compelling prostitution and possessing criminal tools - a third- and fifth-degree felony, respectively. He was sentenced to five years' community sanctions, including periodic drug testing, psychotherapy, a 12-step program and a court order barring him from possessing child pornography. But a random computer inspection in February 2006 uncovered 11 illicit photos, which landed him 42 days in jail.

"Respondent's trustworthiness and fitness to practice law have been severely undermined by his criminal behavior," the court wrote. "We are convinced that an indefinite suspension will help protect the public, deter other lawyers from similar wrongdoing, and preserve the public's trust in the legal profession."

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