Jonathan James Moore, a 58-year-old resident of Jackson, was sentenced on Apr. 21 to five years in federal prison for possession of child pornography, according to an announcement by D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address crimes involving child sexual exploitation through technology. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee advances community safety through federal law enforcement and public outreach efforts, according to the official website.
The investigation began in January 2025 when the Federal Bureau of Investigation received a report from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children about multiple files containing child sexual abuse material uploaded to a Gmail account later identified as belonging to Moore. In February 2025, search warrants were executed at Moore’s residence and his email account, leading investigators to discover hundreds of images depicting sexually explicit conduct involving prepubescent minors and infants.
Moore admitted during an interview that he viewed and downloaded images of nude children from the internet for sexual gratification and had altered some images before uploading them to his Google Photos account. A federal grand jury indicted him in April 2025 on several counts related to child sexual exploitation; he pleaded guilty to one count of possession. United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson imposed a sentence that includes five years in prison with no parole under federal law, followed by five years supervised release, as well as fines totaling $10,000 under applicable statutes.
Dunavant said: “Criminals are using technology to victimize and exploit child victims with increasingly disturbing frequency. This case demonstrates that no matter where offenders are located, our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners will find them and hold them accountable for internet crimes against children.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is one of ninety-three such offices under the Department of Justice according to its official website. It handles prosecutions of federal crimes—including those related to child exploitation—and defends civil matters across its region according to its official website. The office operates out of Memphis and Jackson as reported by its official website.
Broader implications include continued collaboration between multiple agencies such as the FBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), Jackson Police Department, and Madison County Sheriff’s Office—demonstrating ongoing efforts at all levels against internet-facilitated crimes targeting children.