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Press Release

Palm Coast Man Indicted For Distributing, Receiving, And Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the  unsealing of an indictment charging Jonathan Albert Carter (44, Palm Coast) with one count of distribution, two counts of receiving, and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). If convicted on all counts, Carter faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison for each of the distribution and receipt charges, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, for the possession of CSAM. 

According to the indictment, on or about August 13, 2021, Carter knowingly distributed CSAM. On or about December 12, 2022, and on or about November 19, 2023, Carter knowingly received CSAM, and on or about January 4, 2023, Carter possessed CSAM that depicted a minor who had not yet attained 12 years of age.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Updated March 17, 2025
Topic
Project Safe Childhood
Component
USAO - Florida, Middle

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