A 54-year-old Brentwood man was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after admitting he produced sexually explicit images of two children younger than 5 who were in his care or otherwise under his protection. Zane Ishmael Covington pleaded guilty and admitted producing sexually explicit images, and the judge who sentenced him also ordered a decade of supervised release once his prison term ends.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Covington pleaded guilty and admitted that he produced sexually explicit images of two children younger than 5 in 2021 and 2022. Prosecutors said the children were in his care or otherwise were under his protection, according to the same report. Federal prosecutors also detailed additional conduct: the Chronicle's report states Covington admitted receiving child sexual abuse material depicting a child younger than 10 in August 2025, and that he possessed hundreds of images and videos involving prepubescent children and toddlers.
Sentencing Terms and Ongoing Restitution Question
U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar handed down the 25-year prison sentence and ordered Covington to serve 10 years of supervised release afterward, per the same account. Tigar also imposed a $400 special assessment and ordered Covington to forfeit his electronic devices, the outlet reported. The court is set to determine restitution on November 20, according to the report, leaving that financial question unresolved for now.
The case moved through federal court over the past year. Covington was charged in a criminal complaint in September 2025 and was later indicted the following month, the Chronicle reported. The investigation involved several agencies, including Homeland Security, along with the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, according to the same source. Covington remains in federal custody, the report noted.
Registration Requirements Under State Law
Separate from the federal case, California law requires people convicted of specified sex crimes to register as sex offenders with a local law enforcement agency. Those required to register are notified in writing before release from prison and must register with the local agency within five working days after release into the community, according to the California Department of Justice's Megan's Law website. Not every registered sex offender appears on the public-facing site, however; the department's own FAQ states that only information legally permitted for disclosure is posted there, and that not all registrants are listed publicly.
The Mercury News, which reported Covington plays drums for the East Bay metal band Locked Up, has covered the case as part of its crime and public safety reporting. That outlet's report connects the sentencing to Covington's public identity in the local music scene, though the broader facts of the federal case — the charges, the plea, and the sentence itself — form the core of what prosecutors and the court have confirmed.
