Modesto Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Receiving and Distributing Child Pornography

FRESNO, Calif. — Jonathan James Rodriguez, 40, of Modesto, was sentenced today 14 years and two months in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for receiving and distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, from approximately January 2014 through January 2020, Rodriguez was found to have received and/or distributed on a laptop computer over 500 video files depicting minors, some as young as infants and toddlers, suffering various acts of sexual abuse.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian W. Enos prosecuted the case.

This case was 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, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.