Federal charges for Tennessee child pornographer

Kingsport Man Is Held On Child Porn Charges

Published: 11:52 AM, 07/01/2008



Source: The Greeneville Sun

By BILL JONES

Staff Writer

A Kingsport man, at the conclusion Monday of his initial appearance in U.S. District Court here on child pornography charges, was ordered held in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending July 3 detention and preliminary hearings.

Jason Brad Ford, 28, of 148 Hidden Valley Road, Kingsport, had been taken into custody June 27 by Washington County sheriff's deputies who were assisting the FBI.

Ford had been named in a federal criminal complaint filed by FBI Special agent Sandra Farrow.

The eight-page complaint charged Ford with production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography and inducing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

In the complaint, Agent Farrow said she was contacted on March 13, 2008, by the Washington County Sheriff's Department to investigate "a possible Internet crime against children."

The complaint alleges that Ford "produced child pornography via the Internet using a Web camera and a minor child who lived in Colorado that Ford met via the Internet," a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney's office said.

If convicted, according to the U.S. Attorney's release, Ford faces between 15 and 30 years in prison on the production of child pornography charge, and five to 20 years in federal prison on the receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography charges. He also faces 10 years to life in prison on the charge of inducing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity charge.

Also the charges also carry potential fines of up to $250,000 upon conviction.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Inman ordered Ford held in custody pending detention and preliminary hearings scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, July 3.