Salt Lake City Man Pleads Guilty To Possession Of Child Pornography; Agreement Includes Stipulated 156-Month Sentence

            SALT LAKE CITY -- Jonathan Brett Wood, age 49, of Salt Lake City, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography in U.S. District Court Wednesday afternoon.  The plea agreement reached with federal prosecutors includes a stipulated 156-month sentence. The case is a part of the Utah Project Safe Childhood initiative, which brings together federal, state and local agencies to investigate and prosecute individuals who exploit children.

            The significant sentence is subject to the approval of U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups, who will impose a sentence in the case on June 2, 2016.  Judge Waddoups also will impose a term of supervised release for Wood, who faces at least five years of supervised release when he finishes his federal prison sentence with a maximum term of life. (There is no parole in the federal criminal system.)  Wood also agreed to forfeit a Samsung laptop computer as a part of the plea agreement reached with federal prosecutors.

            As a part of the plea agreement, Wood admitted that on a date unknown and continuing to Feb. 11, 2015, he possessed a computer that contained images of child pornography, including images depicting prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  He also acknowledged that he has a previous conviction for aggravated sexual abuse of a child in Utah’s 4^th District Court.

            “Protecting vulnerable victims is a top priority for the Department of Justice and my office in Utah.  We are particularly focused on the exploitation of children,” U.S. Attorney John W. Huber said today.  “In this case, our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners contributed to the successful prosecution of an individual who is a repeat offender. We will continue to work together to keep children in Utah safe from these predators.”

            Wood was charged with distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in September following an investigation by local, state, and federal agents participating as members of the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.