A Hartford man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and 20 years of supervised release for possessing child sexual abuse material. U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver handed down the sentence to Jonathan Williams, 34, following an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
According to court records and statements made during the proceedings, Williams was part of a network using private groups on an internet chat application to share illegal images and videos. Authorities determined that Williams was actively involved in one of these groups. In 2015, he had previously been convicted in North Carolina for third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
On June 1, 2023, law enforcement executed a court-authorized search at Williams’ residence. During the search, investigators found videos of child sex abuse on his laptop. Further analysis uncovered more than 1,500 videos and 7,000 images depicting child pornography. Some materials included depictions of violence and sexual abuse involving infants and toddlers.
Williams has remained in custody since his arrest on June 1, 2023. He pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on August 15, 2024. Due to his prior conviction in North Carolina, penalties were enhanced.
The investigation involved HSI with assistance from the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations, Connecticut State Police, and police departments from Hartford and Westport. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings prosecuted the case.
"This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc."
"To report cases of child exploitation, please visit https://report.cybertip.org."
