A Tennessee man has been sentenced for producing child pornography. Mark Dillon Mason of Rock Island received a 324-month prison sentence from Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning. The case involved Mason traveling to Morehead, Kentucky, in 2022 on three occasions, where he engaged in sexual acts with a minor and recorded these activities with a cellphone.
In accordance with federal law, Mason is required to serve 85 percent of his sentence. Following his release, he will be subject to supervision by the U.S. Probation Office for two decades.
The announcement of the sentence was made by Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Accompanying him was Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge from the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), along with Morehead Police Chief Derrick Blevins and Madison County Sheriff Mike Coyle. The investigation that led to Mason’s arrest was a collaborative effort conducted by HSI, the Morehead Police Department, and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has pursued this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. This national initiative, launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice, aims to address and curb child sexual exploitation and abuse. It is led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). The project unites federal, state, and local resources to track down and prosecute those who exploit children online and work to identify and rescue victims. Information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
