May 27, 2014

Wood County Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Child Pornography Case

HUNTINGTON, WV—United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Jon Seth Davisson, a 22-year-old Wood County man convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced today to 98 months in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release. In August 2013, Davisson exchanged text messages with a 13-year-old Cabell County minor and persuaded the minor to take and send sexually explicit photographs to Davisson. At the time he received these images, Davisson was serving in the United States Army and was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. Davisson had been acquainted with the minor for several years and was aware of the age of the minor at the time he requested that she take and send the photos. At the sentencing, it was also alleged that Davisson had engaged in sexually explicit text and Facebook conversations with several other Wood County minors, during which sexually explicit images were exchanged. At the times of those alleged conversations, the minors were between the ages of 12 and 16. In imposing the sentence, Chief Judge Robert C. Chambers noted Davisson’s “significant level of perversion.”

United States Attorney Booth Goodwin said, “Individuals like Mr. Davisson who entice minors to produce sexually explicit images contribute to the serious problem of child exploitation. I will continue to protect the children of West Virginia by bringing those who harm and exploit children to justice.”

The Cabell County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada is in charge of the prosecution.

This case is being brought as part of U.S. Attorney Goodwin’s ongoing initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse in the Southern District of West Virginia.