Tuolumne County Man Charged with Receipt and Distribution of Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors

FRESNO, Calif. — Jonathan James Rodriguez, 37, of Sonora, was arraigned Tuesday for receipt and distribution of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, between January 2014 and January 2020, Rodriguez used a laptop computer to receive and distribute a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Anyone who has information related to this investigation or who believes they may be a victim can contact the FBI at JonRVictims@fbi.gov.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers is prosecuting the case. 

If convicted, Rodriguez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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.