Christopher Richard Cloonan, Child Pornography, Florida 2014

A Jacksonville man has pleaded guilty to producing child pornography, a crime that could land him a mandatory life sentence in prison.

Christopher Richard Cloonan, a 44-year-old registered child sex offender, was arrested on March 12, 2014, at his residence in Jacksonville. He has been in custody since then.

Cloonan was convicted of two counts of attempted sexual battery on a child less than 12 years old on November 18, 1991, in Charlotte County.

According to court documents, in early March 2014, an undercover officer with the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department posted an advertisement on a website known to be frequented by individuals who have a sexual interest in children and incest.

Cloonan, using a particular screen name, responded to the ad and expressed interest and experience in sexual activity with a minor child.

On March 11, 2014, Cloonan sent the undercover officer an email with two images attached. Both images were produced by Cloonan and depicted an infant engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

A search warrant was issued for Cloonan’s residence on March 12, 2014. That evening, FBI agents and Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office personnel executed the warrant, at which time Cloonan came out of the residence holding a smartphone. He was placed under arrest.

A preliminary analysis of Cloonan’s smartphone revealed that it contained at least 85 images of child pornography, mostly depicting infants and toddlers.

Cloonan faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment due to his prior child sex convictions.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and Washington, D.C., the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department.

It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Attorney’s Office to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Related Federal Cases