A Sacramento man has entered a guilty plea on charges related to the production of child sexual abuse material. 24-year-old Jordan Anthony Hughes admitted to his crimes in federal court, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Documents from the court show that Hughes engaged a minor, under 12 years of age, in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of this conduct, and this occurred within the Sacramento area. Not only did Hughes commit a hands-on violation of the minor victim—capturing the abuse through photographs and videos—he also exploited other underage individuals. Posing as a youth himself, Hughes manipulated others into sending him their own explicit materials, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The investigation into Hughes' actions, which led to his arrest and guilty plea, was conducted by the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force. This effort involved collaboration between the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea J. Kenny, as mentioned by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Hughes, currently in custody, is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on July 10. He faces a minimum sentence of 15 years, with a potential maximum of 30 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. The final sentence will depend on statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, involving federal, state, and local resources. For more on internet safety and Project Safe Childhood, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
