ORLANDO, Fla. – A Mississippi man has pleaded guilty to transportation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) after authorities search his electronics after returning to the United States on a cruise ship following a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) investigation.
Jonathan Patrick Maston, 59, of Pass Christian, Mississippi, faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. A sentencing hearing is set for March 6, 2025.
According to the plea agreement, in April 2022, Maston arrived in Port Canaveral, returning from an international cruise. As he was disembarking the ship, Maston was referred for a secondary inspection. A search of his cellphone revealed CSAM images and videos. During an interview with law enforcement agents, Maston admitted to viewing CSAM over the last 15 years. A search warrant was also executed on Maston’s iCloud account, which revealed additional CSAM. In total, the contents of Maston’s cellphone and iCloud account contained more than 1,000 CSAM images and videos.
This case was investigated by HSI Orlando and CBP. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Testerman.
HSI Tampa's area of responsibility, which includes 10 geographically strategic offices, covers more than 51,600 square miles of the total 65,757 square miles in the state of Florida. This region has more than 14.2 million people and includes 58 of the 67 counties. HSI Tampa also includes five of the 10 largest cities in Florida, 15 primary commercial service airports, and 11 seaports.
To report any information about human trafficking, child sexual abuse, or the trafficking in child sexual abuse material contact the HSI Tip Line at 1-877-4-HSI-TIP or report it through the CyberTipline on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's website.
Learn more about HSI Tampa’s mission to increase public safety in Florida communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSITampa.