Tennessee Man Sentenced to Over 17 Years in Federal Prison on Child Exploitation Charges

NASHVILLE — A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville investigation has led to the sentencing of a Tennessee man to more than 17 years in federal prison for the production, transportation and distribution of child sexual assault material.

U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Henry C. Leventis announced that Jonathon Aaron Ladd, 30, of Mt. Juliet, was sentenced May 21 to 210 months of incarceration. That term of imprisonment will be followed by 10 years of supervised release.

In 2020, Ladd made a sexually explicit video recording of a six-year-old girl in his care. He shared that video, along with another sexually explicit video of a different child, in an online chat application with other sexual predators.

A federal grand jury indicted the defendant in 2021 on one count of production of child pornography, one count of transportation of child pornography, and one count of distribution of child pornography. On Sept. 21, 2023, he pleaded guilty to all counts in the indictment.

“This sentencing is a prime example of the joint efforts in which HSI works with our law enforcement partners to rescue children who are being sexually exploited,” said HSI Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “Let this be a warning to anyone who engages in the abhorrent behavior of producing and distributing child sexual assault material. Our investigators work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to deliver justice to those who would harm our children.”

In addition to HSI Nashville, the Metro Nashville Police Department and the FBI Memphis Field Office Nashville Resident Agency investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Daughtrey prosecuted the case.

“Protecting children will always be a top priority for the Justice Department,” said Leventis. “In this case, as a result of the excellent work done by law enforcement and members of our office, the defendant will spend the next 17 years in federal prison and far away from children.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. attorneys’ offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.