A Preston man, Joel Huntsman, also known as “Jay Huntsman,” “Joel Feser,” and “Jay Blackburn,” was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse material. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven. Huntsman will also serve 10 years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
According to court records and statements made during the proceedings, in June 2022 a police officer in New Albany, Ohio, who was working undercover online, observed several users sharing child pornography in a private group chat on the Kik messenger application. One of those users was later identified as Huntsman. The case was then referred to the Connecticut State Police. In the same month, Kik submitted a cyber tip about Huntsman to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
On November 2, 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a court-authorized search at Huntsman's residence and seized multiple devices, including two mobile phones that contained images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.
Huntsman has been held since his arrest on January 26, 2023. He pleaded guilty on September 9, 2025 to one count of distribution of child pornography.
The investigation involved cooperation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police, and New Albany Police Department in Ohio. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel E. Cummings and Nancy V. Gifford 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 www.cybertipline.com.”
