Sonora Man Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

FRESNO, CA—United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced Richard Larry Jones, 54, of Sonora, to four years and three months in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

Jones will be required to register as a sex offender and his access to minors, computers, and the Internet will be restricted.

Jones was indicted on August 22, 2013, and he pleaded guilty on September 13, 2013. He has been detained as a flight risk and a danger to the community. Jones admitted in a plea agreement that between June 11, 2013 and July 9, 2013, in Tuolumne County he possessed at least 600 images of child pornography. Many of the images depicted prepubescent minors, and some involved violence or sadistic or masochistic conduct or abuse.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office, the Modesto Police Department, and the Modesto Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney David Gappa 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.justice.gov/psc. Click on the “Resources” tab for information about Internet safety.