Kearney Man Sentenced to 6 1/2 Years for Transportation of Child Pornography

United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Jonathan Wagner, 27, of Kearney, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 23, 2026, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for one count of transportation of child pornography. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Wagner to 78 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Wagner’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Wagner was additionally ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution.

Law enforcement discovered that Wagner was uploading files containing child pornography online.  A federal search warrant was received for one of Wagner’s online accounts.  The results revealed 97 image files and 100 video files of child pornography.  The account also revealed 269 files depicting child erotica or age difficult files.  A federal search warrant was received for Wagner’s residence on March 29, 2024.  During the search, Wagner’s devices were seized.  A review of those devices revealed 1,424 child pornography images and 15,484 images of child erotica or age difficult files.  Wagner’s browser history on his cell phone also showed him accessing child pornography.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.