U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett | U.S. Department of Justice
A Louisville man has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography and violating supervised release. The sentencing includes 10 years for the possession charge and an additional year for breaching a previous term of federal supervised release.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Robert Holman of the United States Secret Service. "I appreciate the outstanding work of the Secret Service and the trial team during the investigation and prosecution of this case," stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. "We will continue to prioritize the apprehension and prosecution of individuals in the Western District who sexually exploit the most vulnerable of victims."
Court documents reveal that Jason Florence, aged 49, received a 10-year sentence followed by lifetime supervised release for possessing child pornography after prior convictions for similar offenses. At the time, he was on federal supervised release due to a 2015 conviction related to attempted transportation and possession of child pornography in Kentucky's Western District Court. During his supervised release, Florence was found with graphic videos and images depicting child pornography, leading to an additional one-year sentence for violating his release terms.
Florence's conviction came after a two-day jury trial held in August this year. The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Spencer McKiness and Danielle Yannelli prosecuted.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project brings together resources from federal, state, and local levels to locate offenders who exploit children while also identifying and rescuing victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood or internet safety education resources, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
