High Springs man sentenced to 10 years for child pornography distribution

Gavel
Tingey Injury Law Firm/Unsplash

A High Springs man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he previously pleaded guilty to the distribution of child pornography.

According to a Northern District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office press release sent on Wednesday, Jon Walter Crawford, 36, was sentenced on the charges that stemmed from an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) investigation.

“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,” said U.S. Attorney John Heekin in the press release. “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.”

Become A Member

Mainstreet does not have a paywall, but pavement-pounding journalism is not free. Join your neighbors who make this vital work possible.

Jon Walter Crawford. Alachua County Jail
Alachua County Jail Jon Walter Crawford

ACSO deputies arrested Crawford in September 2023 after receiving a Cyber Tip in October 2022 alleging that a person used a Yahoo account and sent two files with child exploitation material via email in 2021. Deputies identified Crawford and confirmed his possession and distribution of child sex abuse materials.

A Department of Homeland Security investigation determined that Crawford possessed over 1,000 files of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.

“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,” said Alachua County Sheriff Chad Scott in the press release. “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.”

The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the ACSO and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Coody.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments