Jonah Allen Sassam Watt, a 32-year-old resident of Dover, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison on March 3, 2026. The sentencing was delivered by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson after Watt was found guilty of producing child pornography and enticing minors online to engage in illegal sexual activity.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania reported that during several months in 2022, Watt used social media platforms to target children between the ages of 12 and 16. He coerced them into creating sexually explicit content by offering payments or threatening to hack their accounts if they did not comply. Authorities found that Watt also possessed additional images depicting child sexual abuse, including those involving infants and toddlers.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Wilson referenced statements from one victim's mother who described Watt’s actions as “predatory, calculated, and evil.” In addition to his prison sentence, Watt must pay $54,710 in restitution and will serve 15 years of federal supervised release after completing his incarceration.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. Project Safe Childhood brings together federal, state, and local resources to pursue offenders who exploit children and to assist victims. More information about this initiative can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc.
