Joshua David Price, 36, was sentenced Monday to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexually exploiting a minor, according to federal prosecutors. Authorities say Price started communicating online with a 15-year-old girl in 2011, later met her out of state and then brought her to Sacramento. During a trip to Klamath Falls, Oregon, prosecutors say Price recorded videos of himself and the victim engaged in sexual acts, details that appear in court filings.
According to CBS Sacramento, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California said Price first traveled to Maryland to meet the girl, then flew her to Sacramento before the trip to Oregon. That account, drawn from prosecutors and court records, outlines the timeline used at sentencing. Officials have not released the victim’s name because of privacy protections for minors.
Federal task force prosecution
The case was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative that coordinates U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the FBI and local partners to pursue online child predators. The program, launched in May 2006, is intended to marshal federal and local resources to locate offenders and identify victims, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Court filings and plea paperwork
Public records in the federal docket show a preliminary order of forfeiture connected to a plea agreement entered in February 2026, and list the matter as Case No. 2:24-CR-00121‑WBS. Those filings, from the Eastern District of California, outline steps prosecutors took in the case and describe aspects of the plea and sequence of events. The preliminary forfeiture order appears in records published by Leagle.
Why the sentence is stiff under federal law
Federal sentencing in cases like this is largely determinate, meaning the term imposed by the judge is a major factor in how long a defendant actually serves. Parole for most federal offenses was effectively abolished under the Sentencing Reform Act, and supervised release now follows prison terms instead of traditional parole. That framework helps explain why sentences in serious child-exploitation cases often stretch into decades, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Resources and reporting
Anyone with information or concerns about child exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline, which accepts reports 24/7 at 1-800-THE-LOST. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children provides online reporting tools and resources for victims, families and tipsters.
