High Springs man sentenced for distribution of child pornography

Press release from the U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jon Walter Crawford, 36, of High Springs, Florida, was sentenced to ten years in prison after previously pleading guilty to distribution of child pornography. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “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.  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.”

Court documents reflect that the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation based on a cyber tip received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Sheriff’s deputies identified Crawford and confirmed his possession and distribution of child sex abuse material. Homeland Security Investigations determined that Crawford possessed over one thousand files of videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of children.

Click here to read Alachua Chronicle’s article about the investigation and Crawford’s arrest.

Sheriff Chad D. Scott said: “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. 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.”

“Child predators who collect this type of horrific imagery are directly contributing to the ongoing and lifetime abuse of children,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “HSI, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to work relentlessly with our partners to protect the most vulnerable and ensure those who exploit them are brought to justice.”

The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason R. Coody.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.