Hillsborough County Man Charged in Federal Court for Transportation and Receipt of Child Pornography

TAMPA—United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Jonathan Newhall (28, Brandon) with transportation and receipt of child pornography. If convicted, Newhall faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and up to a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count.

According to the indictment, between May 2013 and January 2014, Newhall transported and received child pornography over the Internet. On January 10, 2014, a federal search warrant was executed at Newhall’s residence. Numerous images and videos of child pornography were found in his e-mail account, on his iPhone, and on his computer.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

It 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 the 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.