Williamson County Man Sentenced To Prison For Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material
Zachary R. Jones pleaded guilty to three federal distribution counts after investigators traced online exchanges of child sexual abuse material linked to a cyber tip.
BENTON — A Johnston City man who admitted to exchanging child pornography online in June and August 2025 has been sentenced to 121 months in federal prison.
Zachary R. Jones, 39, pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of child pornography. A district judge imposed the sentence, which will be followed by 10 years of supervised release.
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According to court documents and information discussed during hearings, Jones admitted exchanging child sexual abuse material with others online. He possessed nearly 70 videos and images of the material.
A cyber tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children prompted the investigation. Jones attempted to conceal his identity online by using a virtual private network, but law enforcement was able to track him down.
“Federal agents have tools to defeat VPNs and apps like Kik that are designed to make offenders feel anonymous while they distribute child pornography. Those who do so will face every applicable federal mandatory minimum prison sentence,” U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft said. “Distributing those images re-victimizes the child every single time they are shared.”
FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge Ryan Presley said the agency’s work focuses on victims.
“Every image or video shared represents a child whose life has been impacted by exploitation, and the FBI never loses sight of that reality,” Presley said. “Our commitment is to those victims. We will continue to pursue offenders aggressively and ensure they are held accountable for the harm they inflict.”
The FBI Springfield Field Office led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Sanders prosecuted the case.
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