Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Jonathan Patrick Maston (59, Pass Christian, MS) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison, to be followed by a life term of supervised release, for transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Maston entered a guilty plea on December 19, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, in April 2022, Maston arrived in Port Canaveral, returning from an international cruise. As he was disembarking the ship, Maston was referred for a secondary inspection. A search of his cellphone revealed CSAM images and videos. During an interview with law enforcement, Maston admitted to viewing CSAM over the last 15 years. A search warrant was also executed on Maston’s iCloud account, which revealed additional CSAM. In total, the contents of Maston’s cellphone and iCloud account contained more than 1,000 CSAM images and videos.
“The sentencing of this child predator underscores our dedication to investigating crimes against the most vulnerable in our community,” said Homeland Security Investigations Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “The exploitation of children is a heinous crime that will not be tolerated, and HSI remains steadfast in our commitment to identifying and apprehending those who abuse children.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.