Parkersburg Man Gets 15 Years for Child Pornography

A 29-year-old Parkersburg man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for producing child pornography, according to the Department of Justice.

Jon Ryan LaFever, 29, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty to production of child pornography on March 16, 2023, and was sentenced on September 5, 2024. LaFever was accused of posting a picture of a minor female on an instant messaging mobile app, and then sending several additional photos and videos of the same minor female to an app user.

According to court documents, LaFever admitted to creating the images and videos with his cell phone, including two videos of the minor female that he created on March 6, 2023. The videos showed LaFever touching the minor female’s buttocks while she was asleep on a bed, and attempting to expose her genital and pubic area.

LaFever also admitted to possessing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography on his phone and an online file-storage account, including some that depicted prepubescent minors. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the West Virginia State Police were involved in the investigation, which was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

LaFever is also required to register as a sex offender and pay restitution, the amount of which has yet to be determined by the court. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

The case was brought by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald, and was prosecuted in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing.

The Department of Justice has launched a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, and is working with federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet.

LaFever’s sentence serves as a warning to those who engage in this heinous crime: there will be consequences. We will continue to work tirelessly to protect our children and bring these perpetrators to justice.