BJ Thomason Sentenced to 15 Years for Child Pornography Attempt

BJ Thomason, a 38-year-old man from Somerset, Kentucky, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the attempted production of child pornography. The sentencing was carried out by U. S.

District Judge Robert Wier, the U. S. Attorney's Office announced.

The charges stem from an incident on June 13, 2022, when Thomason attempted to persuade a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct with the intent of producing a visual depiction of the act. According to the U. S.

Attorney's Office, Thomason used the TextNow messaging service to contact the minor victim. During their exchanges, Thomason requested the minor send him sexually explicit pictures after he had sent multiple sexually explicit images of himself.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Justin Blankenship and was part of a broader initiative known as Project Safe Childhood.

This initiative, launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006, aims to combat the growing problem of child sexual exploitation and abuse. It brings together federal, state, and local resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

The investigation into Thomason's activities was conducted by the FBI, with Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Louisville Field Office, playing a key role. The sentencing was jointly announced by Jason Parman, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Olson.

Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative led by U. S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).

It focuses on better locating, apprehending, and prosecuting individuals who exploit children online and aims to rescue victims from such exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, individuals are encouraged to visit their official website.