Youth Basketball Coach Accused of Paying Boys for Sexual Photos, Videos

Chicago, IL — Bradley J. Ames, 35 of Chicago, is accused of paying underage boys to be photographed and videoed during various sex acts.

Ames, who coaches youth basketball, was indicted June 9 on federal charges of conspiracy to produce child pornography, four counts of producing child pornography and one count of knowingly receiving child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois.

The indictment says Ames and a co-conspirator paid boys younger than 18 about $100 to $650 "to engage in sexually explicit conduct while being photographed and video recorded, and then transmit such photographs and video recordings over the internet.

The Chicago Tribune reports that from 2004 to 2014, Ames served with the Park District of Oak Park as a volunteer youth basketball coach, according to Ames' LinkedIn profile, which has been deleted.

Ames found at least one of minors involved in the scheme through a boy he met while he was a youth basketball coach, the U.S. Attorney's Office states.

He and the co-conspirator met most of the boys through a Facebook profile for a fake woman named Hannah, which was used to get the boys to share photos and personal info, according to the indictment. Some of the boys who communicated with the Hannah profile were contacted by Ames' conspirator, who asked for more explicit photos and videos.

The indictment also accuses Ames of paying his co-conspirator for "engaging in sexually explicit conduct" with the boys.

Ames will be arraigned June 15. 

If convicted on the conspiracy and production charges, Ames could face a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The charge for knowingly receiving child pornography carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.