Former sheriff’s deputy pleads guilty to child porn

Former Greene County Sheriff’s Deputy Juan Jones yesterday pleaded guilty to child pornography charges.

Jones, 28, of Springfield, admitted he downloaded and distributed illegal images and videos while working as a deputy sheriff, according to a news release from the office of Tammy Dickinson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

In January, Jones was fired, arrested and charged for the crimes. He had served as an employee with the sheriff’s office since September 2013.

The investigation into Jones’ activity began in September after online file-hosting service Dropbox Inc. filed a tip with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after discovering Jones’ account had several child porn images and videos. Some of the media depicted children as young as infants being sexually abused by adult males, according to court filings.

Jones admitted to investigators he viewed child porn for as long as 10 years, including the exchange of images on Tumblr. Officials also found images on his cellphone.

Under federal statutes, Jones is subject to a minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole. The sentence could extend to as long as 20 years, according to the release.