[Cite as State v. Liuzzo, 2013-Ohio-5028.]

Court of Appeals of Ohio

EIGHTH APPELLATE DISTRICT 

COUNTY OF CUYAHOGA 

JOURNAL ENTRY AND OPINION 

No. 99545 

STATE OF OHIO 

PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE 

vs.

PAUL LIUZZO

 DEFENDANT-APPELLANT

JUDGMENT: 

AFFIRMED 

Criminal Appeal from the 

Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas 

Case No. CR-516760 

BEFORE: Jones, P.J., McCormack, J., and E.T. Gallagher, J. 

 

RELEASED AND JOURNALIZED: November 14, 2013 
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT 

David L. Doughten 

The Brownhoist Building 

4403 St. Clair Avenue 

Cleveland, Ohio 44103

ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE

Timothy J. McGinty 

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor 

BY: Francine B. Goldberg 

Assistant County Prosecutor 

The Justice Center, 8th Floor 

1200 Ontario Street 

Cleveland, Ohio 44113 
LARRY A. JONES, SR., P.J.: 

{¶1} Defendant-appellant, Paul Liuzzo, appeals his ten-year sentence that was 

imposed after his plea to numerous counts of pandering sexually-oriented material 

involving a minor and one count of possessing criminal tools. Additionally, Liuzzo 

contends that his trial counsel was ineffective. We affirm. 

 I 

{¶2} In 2008, Liuzzo was charged in a 64-count indictment. Counts 1 through 29 

charged pandering sexually-oriented material involving a minor in violation of R.C. 

2907.322(A)(2). Counts 30 through 63 charged pandering sexually-oriented material 

involving a minor in violation of R.C. 2907.322(A)(1). Count 64 charged possessing 

criminal tools. All counts contained a forfeiture specification. 

{¶3} Liuzzo pleaded guilty to all counts and specifications as indicted. The trial 

court sentenced him as follows: four years on each crime contained in Counts 1 through 

29, to be served concurrent; three years on each crime contained in Counts 30 through 40, 

to be served concurrent; three years on each crime contained in Counts 41 through 63, to 

be served concurrent; and 12 months on Count 64, to be served concurrent. The 

sentences on Counts 30 through 40, Counts 41 through 63, and Count 64 were ordered to 

be served consecutively to each other, and concurrently to the four years for Counts 1-29. 

Liuzzo was therefore sentenced to a total ten-year sentence. 

 II 

{¶4} The charges in this case arose after an investigation by the Ohio Internet 
Crimes Against Children Task Force revealed that Liuzzo had been downloading child 

pornography on his computer. The pornography he had downloaded was available for 

sharing with other perpetrators through Limeware, which is peer-to-peer file sharing 

software. 

{¶5} According to Liuzzo, he had been sexually abused as a child, and the abuse 

included his violator taking pictures and videos of him. He maintained that he 

downloaded the material because he was obsessed with seeing if images of himself taken 

by his offender were on the internet. 

{¶6} Liuzzo raises the following three assignments of error in this delayed appeal: 

[I.] The trial court erred by failing to find the convictions of Pandering 

Sexually-Oriented Matter Involving a Minor, R.C. 2907.322(A)(1) and R.C. 

2907.322(A)(2) constitute allied offenses pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 

§2941.25. 

[II.] The trial court erred in failing to consider statutorily required 

mitigating factors during sentencing hearing. 

[III.] The failure of defense counsel to request a hearing on allied offenses 

denied the appellant his right to the effective assistance of trial counsel. 

 III 

Allied Offenses 

{¶7} For his first assigned error, Liuzzo contends that the trial court erred by 

failing to merge as allied offenses the convictions under the two subsections governing 
pandering sexually-oriented matter involving a minor. In his third assignment of error, 

Liuzzo contends that his counsel was ineffective for not requesting an allied offenses 

hearing. 

{¶8} R.C. 2941.25, which governs allied offenses, provides: 

(A) Where the same conduct by defendant can be construed to constitute 

two or more allied offenses of similar import, the indictment or information 

may contain counts for all such offenses, but the defendant may be 

convicted of only one. 

(B) Where the defendant’s conduct constitutes two or more offenses of 

dissimilar import, or where his conduct results in two or more offenses of 

the same or similar kind committed separately or with a separate animus as 

to each, the indictment or information may contain counts for all such 

offenses, and the defendant may be convicted of all of them. 

{¶9} Under subsection (A)(1) of the pandering statute, Liuzzo was convicted of 

obtaining the material, and under subsection (A)(2), he was convicted of disseminating it 

by having it in software accessible to other perpetrators. Liuzzo contends that he “could 

not have violated (A)(2), to disseminate the materials by leaving his [peer-to-peer sharing 

software] accessible, without first having obtained the material * * *.” Thus, Liuzzo 

contends that in this case, the “act of downloading [was] a necessary aspect of a 

dissemination of display via [the software], and therefore the “consecutive sentences 

violate the statute and double jeopardy protections.” 

{¶10} The consecutive sentences were not imposed on counts involving the two 

subsections. Rather, the three-year concurrent sentences for Counts 30 through 40 were 

ordered to be served consecutive to the three year concurrent sentences for Counts 41 

through 63, and all those counts (Counts 30 through 63) charged pandering under R.C. 
2907.322(A)(1). 

{¶11} Further, Counts 30 through 40 involved different dates than Counts 41 

through 63. Therefore, on the face of the indictment, Counts 30 through 40 constituted 

separate offenses from Counts 41 through 63. See State v. Baker, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga 

No. 97139, 2012-Ohio-1833, ¶ 23. 

{¶12} In light of the above, we find no merit to Liuzzo’s contention set forth in his 

first assignment of error that the trial court failed to merge as allied offenses the 

convictions under the two subsections governing pandering sexually-oriented matter 

involving a minor. We necessarily, therefore, also find no merit to his contention that 

his trial counsel was ineffective for not requesting an allied offenses hearing. 

{¶13} The first and third assignments of error are overruled. 

{¶14} For his second assigned error Liuzzo contends that the trial court did not 

consider mitigating circumstances when sentencing him. Specifically, Liuzzo contends 

that the trial court “failed to consider [his] victimization as a mitigating factor to his 

conduct.” We disagree. 

{¶15} The trial court did consider Liuzzo’s contention that he was searching 

pornographic images of children to see if images of himself were on the internet because 

a perpetrator against him had taken such photographs and videos of him; the court did not 

believe him. The court referenced that Liuzzo had searched under terms that suggested 

young girls engaged in inappropriate relationships with older men. Therefore, the court 

stated that “for you to use [those] search[es] to find potential images of yourself defies 
logic.” 

{¶16} The court also noted that Liuzzo’s searches of pornographic child images 

began in 1995, and he had been “troubled by this alleged sexual abuse for many years, but 

* * * didn’t begin counseling * * * until July of 2008,” after law enforcement searched 

his house and confiscated his computer. Further, when Liuzzo did seek treatment, his 

primary concern appeared to be his legal problem rather than the underlying issue of his 

alleged victimization. 

{¶17} In light of the above, the trial court did consider Liuzzo’s mitigation 

defense. The court was not obligated, in the exercise of its discretion under R.C. 

2929.12(A),1

 to give any particular weight or consideration to any sentencing factor. 

State v. Holin, 174 Ohio App.3d 1, 2007-Ohio-6255, 880 N.E.2d 515, ¶ 34 (11th Dist.). 

So long as the sentencing court duly considers the appropriate sentencing factors, it has 

full discretion to impose a sentence within the statutory range. Id. 

{¶18} On this record, we find that the trial court considered the appropriate 

sentencing factors and sentenced Liuzzo within the permissible range. The second 

assignment of error is, therefore, overruled. 

{¶19} Judgment affirmed. 

It is ordered that appellee recover from appellant costs herein taxed. 

The court finds there were reasonable grounds for this appeal. 

 

1

“* * * A court that imposes a sentence under this chapter upon an offender for a felony has 

discretion to determine the most effective way to comply with the purposes and principles of 

sentencing set forth in section 2929.11 of the Revised Code.” R.C. 2929.12(A). 
It is ordered that a special mandate issue out of this court directing the common 

pleas court to carry this judgment into execution. The defendant’s conviction having 

been affirmed, any bail pending appeal is terminated. Case remanded to the trial court 

for execution of sentence. 

A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to Rule 27 of 

the Rules of Appellate Procedure. 

 

LARRY A. JONES, SR., PRESIDING JUDGE 

TIM McCORMACK, J., and 

EILEEN T. GALLAGHER, J., CONCUR