FBI discovery of child abuse images sold online leads to identification of Newman sex abuse victim

An investigation into images of a young girl being sexually abused sold online led authorities to a victim in Newman and the arrest of a Modesto man, who was recently convicted on multiple charges, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office announced.

District Attorney Jeff Laugero announced Friday that Brian Keith Ollar, 52, of Modesto, has been convicted of continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14.

The investigation into this crime began in February 2024 when the FBI alerted local authorities that they had discovered sexual images of a young child being sold on the dark web. The “dark web” is a part of the internet that can only be accessed using special software and is designed to keep users and website operators anonymous or untraceable.

Investigative techniques revealed that the sexual images were taken at a home in Newman.

The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office immediately launched a local investigation, which led to the discovery of the victim depicted in the sexual images and the arrest of Ollar.

The investigation revealed that Ollar sexually abused the victim over a period of nearly four years at a residence in Newman. The sexual abuse began when the victim was 7 years old. The victim confirmed that she was the child in the footage discovered by the FBI and provided details about the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of Ollar, the DA’s office said.

Ollar is scheduled to be sentenced on September 30. The conviction is a strike under California’s Three Strikes Law and requires Ollar to register as a sex offender.

This successful investigation and conviction were made possible through the efforts of the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Special Victims Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit. Deputy District Attorney Sameer Shukla prosecuted the case for the people.