Orlando, FL – A Mississippi man, Jonathan Patrick Maston, 59, has been sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The sentencing was delivered by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron after Maston pleaded guilty on December 19, 2024.
The case against Maston began in April 2022 when he returned to Port Canaveral from an international cruise. During a routine disembarkation process, Maston was selected for a secondary inspection. Authorities discovered images and videos of CSAM on his cellphone. In a subsequent interview, Maston confessed to viewing such material over the past 15 years.
Further investigations led to a search warrant for Maston’s iCloud account, uncovering additional CSAM. In total, more than 1,000 images and videos were found on his devices.
“This sentencing highlights our commitment to investigating crimes against the most vulnerable in our community,” stated David Pezzutti, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando. “The exploitation of children is a heinous crime that will not be tolerated.”
The investigation was a collaborative effort between Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
This case forms part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project leverages federal, state, and local resources to apprehend and prosecute offenders, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information on Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
