A Mississippi man has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Jonathan Patrick Maston, 59, of Pass Christian, Mississippi, received a sentence of 12 years and seven months in federal prison. This will be followed by a life term of supervised release. Maston entered a guilty plea on December 19, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, Maston’s arrest occurred in April 2022 at Port Canaveral, Florida, upon his return from an international cruise. As he disembarked the ship, Maston was referred for a secondary inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
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During the inspection, a search of Maston’s cellphone revealed images and videos containing child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement conducted an interview with Maston, during which he admitted to viewing CSAM over the preceding 15 years.
Further investigation, including the execution of a search warrant on Maston’s iCloud account, uncovered additional CSAM. In total, the contents of Maston’s cellphone and iCloud account contained more than 1,000 CSAM images and videos.
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“The sentencing of this child predator underscores our dedication to investigating crimes against the most vulnerable in our community,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “The exploitation of children is a heinous crime that will not be tolerated, and HSI remains steadfast in our commitment to identifying and apprehending those who abuse children.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman prosecuted the case.
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