Jonathon Chase Russell, Sexual Exploitation of Children, Oklahoma 2025

Oklahoma Man Sentenced to 540 Months in Prison for Child Pornography and Exploitation

Jonathon Chase Russell, a 36-year-old man from Elk City, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to 540 months, or 45 years, in federal prison for his role in the sexual exploitation of children. Russell was found guilty of possessing and distributing child pornography, as well as traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

According to court documents, on January 30, 2024, Russell posted 15 images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct on a messaging app. The next day, he sent three of these images to an undercover federal investigator, claiming that the minors were 3 and 11 years old. Further investigation led FBI agents to identify Russell’s IP addresses and locate him at a hotel in Midland, Texas.

On February 8, 2024, agents executed a warrant on Russell’s hotel room, where they discovered a collection of children’s underwear, a green tactical backpack containing sexual devices, and a smartphone hidden underneath a refrigerator. Forensic examination of the smartphone revealed a substantial collection of images depicting the sexual abuse of minor children.

Russell was indicted in the Western District of Texas on February 28, 2024, and again in the Western District of Oklahoma on April 3, 2024. He pleaded guilty on August 19, 2024, to all counts charged in the superseding indictment.

U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma stated, ‘This defendant’s abhorrent behavior has been put to an end thanks to cooperation between federal prosecutors and law enforcement across the country.’ Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas added, ‘The significant sentence imposed in this case reflects the immense damage this individual inflicted on multiple children, who will be plagued by these experiences for the rest of their lives.’

The FBI El Paso and Oklahoma City field offices investigated the case with assistance from the Elk City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ganz prosecuted the case for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Haywood prosecuted the case for the Western District of Texas.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The PSC 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. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc

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