Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
Jon Walter Crawford, a 36-year-old resident of High Springs, Florida, has been sentenced to ten years in prison following his guilty plea to the distribution of child pornography. The sentencing was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated: “I commend the hard work done by our state and federal law enforcement partners to investigate, identify, and bring this offender to justice for peddling child sexual abuse material. It is one of my office’s highest duties to protect the most vulnerable members of our community – our children – from exploitation and victimization, and we will not hesitate to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law the sick individuals who commit these crimes.”
According to court documents, an investigation began after the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Deputies identified Crawford as a suspect and confirmed he possessed and distributed child sexual abuse material. Homeland Security Investigations found that Crawford had more than one thousand files containing videos and images depicting child sexual abuse.
Sheriff Chad D. Scott commented: “I commend the relentless work of our Detectives whose dedication and expertise were critical to this investigation. Their efforts, in conjunction with our federal partners, demonstrate our unwavering commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us—our children. Let this serve as a clear message: anyone who seeks to exploit or harm children will be found, held accountable, and delivered into the arms of justice. The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office will continue to use every available resource to ensure these predators are stopped and that our community’s children are safe.”
Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno said: “Child predators who collect this type of horrific imagery are directly contributing to the ongoing and lifetime abuse of children. HSI, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to work relentlessly with our partners to protect the most vulnerable and ensure those who exploit them are brought to justice.”
The conviction followed a joint investigation by local deputies from Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorney Jason R. Coody prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative started in May 2006 by the Department of Justice—to combat online child exploitation by coordinating resources across agencies at all levels. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one among 94 offices nationwide serving under direction from the Attorney General as principal litigators for federal cases in their regions. Public court documents can be accessed via the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website (http://www.flnd.uscourts.gov/). Further details about activities from this office are available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
