Former NC Marine sentenced to 15 years after pleading guilty to child pornography, prosecutors say

Keaton Eberly
·2 min read

Note: The accompanying video explains how to protect kids online as child sex crimes increase in North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – A former U.S. Marine was sentenced to 15 years in prison in connection to the distribution and possession of child pornography.

Jonathon Allen Frew, 33, pled guilty for these charges on Aug. 17, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Frew was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) after the social media platform Kik reported on five separate occasions that one of its users had uploaded child pornography. Kik then made the report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who forwarded the report to NCIS after learning the Kik account and IP address used to upload the images were connected to Frew, who was an active-duty Marine stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point at the time.

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Results from a Kik search warrant showed on one day, Frew uploaded 24 images and videos of child pornography into a chat group, prosecutors said. His home was searched and digital devices were seized, which resulted in child pornography being found on his cellphone, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

In total, Frew possessed almost 250 images and 30 videos of child pornography, according to court documents. He ultimately admitted to law enforcement that he obtained child pornography and would later upload it to chat groups, prosecutors said.

Frew’s collection of images and videos included very young children, infants and toddlers, as well as images depicting sadistic and masochistic conduct, according to prosecutors.

Following his 15-year prison sentence, Frew will undergo 10 years of supervised release. He was also fined $10,000 under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act and $5,000 under the Amy, Vicky and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act.

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