A Kentucky man was sentenced on Monday to 30 years in prison by U.S. District Judge David Bunning for the production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, on May 8, 2022, law enforcement discovered sexually explicit photos of Jonathan Michael Whitt, 35, of Ashland, and a minor victim.
Subsequent investigation revealed that Whitt and the minor had a sexual relationship, from 2011 to 2013, and that Whitt had taken sexually explicit images of the victim during that time.
During a separate investigation, law enforcement also discovered that Whitt was trading child sexual abuse material with others, by joining online groups and sending and receiving links to hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.
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Under federal law, Whitt must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Phillip J. Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police (KSP); and Chief Todd Kelley, Ashland Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
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