Martin County Resident Sentenced to Thirty Years in Prison for Production and Distribution of Child Pornography

Joshua Laine Rogers, 35, of Stuart, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Donald L. Graham to 30 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for producing and distributing pornography of a teenage victim. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender. 

Benjamin G. Greenberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, Ken Mascara, Sheriff, St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office (SLCSO), and William D. Snyder, Sheriff, Martin County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), made the announcement. 

According to the court record, on September 3, 2017, SLCSO deputies responded to a “Missing Person Juvenile/ Runaway” call for a missing 16-year-old minor. On September 27, 2017, MCSO Detectives located Rogers with the minor victim. The investigation revealed that Rogers met the victim on-line and had the victim stay at his residence. A forensic analysis of Roger’s cellular smart phone revealed he had recorded sexually explicit activity with the minor victim on numerous occasions, using his cellular smartphone.  Rogers distributed many of  the  captured  images  and  videos  to  other  individuals,  via  MMS  text  communications, on a social media networking program, and in the personal section of a Treasure Coast website.

Rogers and Lockley, together at Rogers’ residence, also produced videos depicting sexually explicit conduct and activity with the minor victim. A forensic analysis of Lockley’s cellular smart phone revealed he had used it to record sexually explicit activity with the minor victim.

On January 17, 2018, Co-Defendant Richard William Lockley, 34, of Stuart, pled guilty to one count of production of visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) and (e).  On April 20, 2018, Lockley was sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for producing pornography of that teenage victim.

On March 22, 2018, Rogers pled guilty to two counts of production of visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors and one count of distribution production of visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1).

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, SLCSO and the MCSO for their work on this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.