Daniel P. Bubar Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina
A former Army soldier, Jason Charles Manuelito, was sentenced in Wilmington, North Carolina, to more than 24 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material. Following his release, he will also face 10 years of supervised release. He pled guilty to the charges on June 11, 2024.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) after receiving multiple cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. These tips indicated that someone using an IP address on a military base was uploading illegal images and videos to applications such as Kik, Google, and Dropbox.
Subsequent investigation linked the IP address to Manuelito. A search and seizure operation was authorized for his person and barracks, which revealed digital devices containing numerous conversations between him and several children. During these exchanges, Manuelito encouraged the victims to send explicit images and engaged in sexualized conversations himself. Among approximately nine identified victims, some were as young as 11 years old.
In a recorded interview, Manuelito admitted involvement in online relationships with minors, which included exchanges of illicit images. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announced the sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson.
Further information about the case is available on the U.S. District Court website for the Eastern District of North Carolina or PACER under Case No. 5:23-CR-00200.
