York County Man Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison For Production Of Child Pornography And Enticement Of A Minor To Engage In Illegal Sexual Activity

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jonah Allen Sassam Watt, age 32, of Dover, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 3, 2026, by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 30 years in federal prison for charges related to the production of child pornography and for his online enticement of minors to engage in illegal sexual activity.

According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, over the course of several months in 2022, Watt used various social media platforms to coerce children (ranging between the ages of 12-16) to create sexually explicit content of themselves. In some instances, Watt offered them payment for their images and in others, Watt threatened the children to create the images and videos, or he would "hack" their social media accounts. At the time he was intercepted by law enforcement in this case, Watt was in possession of additional images of child pornography, to include children as young as infants and toddlers being sexually assaulted.

In sentencing Watt, Judge Wilson echoed the statements of one of the victim's mothers who called Watt's conduct predatory, calculated, and evil.

Judge Wilson also ordered Watt to pay $54,710.00 in restitution and following Watt's period of incarceration, he is to serve an additional 15 years on federal supervised release.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.usdoj.gov/psc.Links to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.

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