Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jonathan Levi Rider, 19, of Charleston, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for possession of prepubescent child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 26, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Rider’s residence and seized Rider’s cell phone. Rider admitted to officers that he clicked on internet links that contained child pornography. Officers found more than a dozen images and videos depicting child pornography on his seized cell phone, and more than 100 videos and images depicting child pornography on his Kik Messenger mobile app account.

On November 17, 2022, law enforcement officers executed another search warrant at Rider’s residence. Officers seized Rider’s new cell phone, and on it they found several videos depicting child pornography. One of the videos depicted an adult male anally sexually assaulting a prepubescent child.

Officers found a total of 92 videos and 44 images depicting prepubescent child pornography on Rider’s cell phones and Kik account.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the West Virginia State Police.

United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie M. White and Francesca C. Rollo prosecuted the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-24.

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