A Long Beach, Mississippi man has been sentenced to 110 years in prison for producing images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Jason Leonard Rhodes, 47, will also serve a lifetime of supervised release following his prison term.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Gulfport began investigating Rhodes in February 2023 after receiving information that he had sexual contact with three minor boys. The FBI and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Cybercrime Division, executed a search warrant at Rhodes’ residence on February 8, 2023.
During the search, investigators found electronic devices belonging to Rhodes. A forensic analysis by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office revealed videos showing Rhodes performing oral sex on three minor boys, including one child as young as five years old. Investigators also discovered chats where Rhodes sent these videos to others and possessed additional footage depicting other children being sexually abused.
Rhodes confessed during the search warrant to recording himself committing these acts and distributing images and videos of child sexual abuse.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the FBI announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office Cybercrime Division, and Long Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee Smith, Glenda Haynes, and Andrea Jones prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The program brings together federal, state, and local resources to identify offenders who exploit children online and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
