A man from Jacksonville, Florida, has been sentenced to 420 months in federal prison for producing child pornography. Josh Lee Knittel, 44, received the sentence on October 20 from U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves.
Court documents show that Knittel was previously convicted of a sex offense involving a minor in 2006 and is a registered sex offender. On July 29, 2024, an individual who knew the victim discovered inappropriate text messages between the victim and Knittel on a cell phone. These messages revealed that Knittel had paid the victim for nude photos. Investigators confirmed this exchange through financial records and further messaging evidence. Law enforcement arrested Knittel on October 16, 2024. He admitted to paying for sexually explicit images of the victim.
Under federal sentencing rules, Knittel must serve at least 85 percent of his prison term before becoming eligible for release. After serving his sentence, he will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI’s Louisville Field Office; and Chief Tony Gray Jr., Danville Police Department announced the sentence together.
The FBI and Danville Police Department led the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton prosecuted it on behalf of the United States.
The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood—a national effort started by the Department of Justice in 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse online by coordinating federal, state, and local resources to find offenders and help victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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