Florida church deacon facing potential combined sentence of 70 years in prison

FLORIDA – A Florida church deacon convicted of producing child pornography is facing a combined maximum sentence of 70 years in prison for all counts, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida said in an announcement.

Jonathan High, 30, of Steinhatchee, Florida, has been convicted of two counts of use of a child to produce child pornography, said Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The guilty verdict was returned Tuesday at the conclusion of a one-day bench trial. Prior to the trial, High pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography, Coody said.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in August 2021, law enforcement officers received a Cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a user of a cloud storage account uploaded files constituting child pornography.

An investigation reportedly revealed the account belonged to High.

Law enforcement officers obtained a search warrant for High’s cell phones and desktop computer, and after an examination of their contents, alleged that High was in possession of multiple child pornography images and videos that depicted prepubescent boys engaged in sex acts or exposing their genitals in a lascivious manner.

Further investigation revealed that some of these images and videos were produced by High personally; High produced separate video recordings of two young boys using the bathroom in a Perry, Florida church where High served as a deacon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

High’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 9, 2023, at 1:30 p.m., at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Allen Winsor.

High faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison and a combined maximum of 70 years in prison for all three counts.

This conviction was the result of a joint investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Justin M. Keen and Kaitlin Weiss prosecuted the case.