CITIZEN STAFF

ASHLAND — An Ashland man was sentenced Monday to 30 years in prison for production of child pornography.

U.S. District Judge David Bunning handed down the sentence to 35-year-old Jonathan Michael Whitt.

According to Whitt’s plea agreement, on May 8, 2022, law enforcement discovered sexually explicit photos of Whitt and a minor victim.

The subsequent investigation revealed that Whitt and the minor had a sexual relationship from 2011 to 2013, and that Whitt had taken sexually explicit images of the victim during that time.

During a separate investigation, law enforcement also discovered that Whitt was trading child sexual abuse material with others by joining online groups and sending and receiving links to hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.

Whitt must serve 85% of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years.

Carlton S. Shier IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Phillip J. Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police (KSP); and Chief Todd Kelley, Ashland Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by FBI, HSI, KSP and Ashland Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth prosecuted the case.