Child Porn Lands Hawthorne Man in Federal Prison

GAINESVILLE ‒ Justin Ray Crosby, 25, of Hawthorne was sentenced to 320 months imprisonment for one count of production of child pornography and 240 months imprisonment for one count of distribution of child pornography, the terms to run concurrent with each other. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

“Crimes against children are among the most heinous types of offenses and deserving of the most significant sentences,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Those who produce child pornography facilitate the abuse of children and rob them of not only of their innocence but their very childhood. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and vigorously prosecute those who engage in such vile conduct.”

In July 2022, law enforcement officers in Gainesville began an investigation related to the distribution of an image depicting the sexual abuse of a 12-year-old minor child on an instant messaging app. Investigators determined the child resided in Gainesville. The child was interviewed and several social media accounts and electronic devices were obtained and examined, leading to Crosby’s identification. Investigators determined Crosby had met with the child on several occasions and in one instance he filmed himself engaged in sexual contact with the child. He later distributed the video on an instant messaging application.

Crosby’s prison sentence will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to the victim. Crosby will also be required to register as a sex offender and be subject to all sex offender conditions.

The case was investigated by Internet Crime Against Children Task Force Gainesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Frank Williams prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

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