Convicted Sex Offender On State Probation Is Sentenced To More Than 21 Years For Distributing Child Pornography

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Joseph Franklin Jordan, 53 of Charlotte, was sentenced to 262 months in prison today for distribution of child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Upon his release from prison, Jordan will be subject to a lifetime of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell also ordered Jordan to pay $19,000 in assessments and restitution.

Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, Eddie M. Buffaloe, Jr., Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NC DPS), and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today's announcement.

"Protecting our children from sexual predators like Jordan is a top priority and one of the most urgent challenges we face today," said U.S. Attorney King. "My office is committed to working hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners at every level to identify child predators and bring them to justice."

According to filed documents and statements made in court, in November 2022, an HSI undercover agent (UC) was in an online chat group where its users distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Court records show that the UC began to exchange direct messages with a user later identified as Jordan, about the defendant engaging in illicit sexual acts with a young child the UC purported to have access to. Over the course of the communications, Jordan began to make plans to meet with the UC to have sex with the child. Law enforcement identified the user as Jordan, who was on supervised probation with the State of North Carolina for a sex offender conviction.

On December 2, 2022, HSI agents assisted by NC DPS probation officers conducted a search of Jordan's residence. Four electronic devices were seized and forensically examined. The examination revealed that the devices contained more than 28,000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants and toddlers. Jordan had also distributed child pornography to others. In addition, law enforcement located online messages in which Jordan discussed his desire to sexually abuse children and to make child pornography. In some of the chats, Jordan also made statements about having previous sexual encounters with children as young as three years old, and shared details about those purported encounters using extremely graphic and vulgar language.

On March 21, 2024, Jordan pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. At today's sentencing hearing, the Court sentenced Jordan to a 262-month sentence due, in part, to the nature and circumstances of Jordan's offense.

In making today's announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended HSI, NC DPS, and CMPD for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

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 U.S. 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.