COLUMBUS, Ohio – Federal agents arrested a Reynoldsburg man today on charges alleging he committed new child sex crimes while already registered as a sex offender.

Justin James Jackson, 23, is charged with producing child pornography, a federal crime punishable by 15 to 30 years in prison. Registered sex offenders face a penalty enhancement of a mandatory 10 years in prison consecutive to any other sentence imposed.

Jackson appeared in federal court at 1:30pm today.

According to charging documents, in August, the FBI’s Columbus Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking task force received information regarding a 12-year-old victim in Kansas. The minor allegedly sent nude photographs and videos of herself on Discord and TikTok at Jackson’s request.

Jackson later allegedly threatened to send the explicit images and videos to the victim’s family and friends if she did not continue to meet his requests. The defendant’s criminal history includes two convictions of attempted illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented material and of illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented material for extorting an 11-year-old victim for nude photos of themselves in July 2022. This case was investigated by the Pickerington Police Department.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Tyler J. Aagard is representing the United States in this case.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood 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.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.# # #