A Columbia man was sentenced to prison last Friday in connection with a child exploitation case prosecuted by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office.
Jovon Eugene Kendrick, 25, will spend 10 years of a 40-year sentence in prison after pleading guilty to one count of child exploitation. He was sentenced by 15th Judicial Circuit Senior Judge Prentiss Harrell in Circuit Court in Lawrence County.
Kendrick was arrested earlier this year by officers from the Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Unit and the Columbia Police Department. He was indicted by a Marion County Grand Jury on June 21, 2017.
In his indictment, Kendrick allegedly, “Did unlawfully, feloniously, and knowingly possess or knowingly access with intent to view a photograph, drawing, sketch, film, videotape or other visual depiction of an actual child engaged in sexually explicit conduct on a Western Digital hard drive.”
Kendrick was sentenced to 40 years with 10 to serve and 30 under post-release supervision. He must also register as a sex offender and pay a $5,000 fine in addition to $1,000 to the Children’s Trust Fund and court costs.
“Our cyber crime division continues fighting the acts of these perverts every day,” Attorney General Jim Hood said in a news release. “This young man had videos and pictures of children as young as 4 years old engaged in sexual activity. That is absolutely disgusting, and I am pleased that Judge Harrell put him where he can’t continue to abuse our precious children.”
Kendrick’s arrest took place in April following an investigation of his online activity. He was initially booked into the Marion County Jail on $40,000 bond and bonded out on April 13. Kendrick faced up to a $500,000 fine and 40 years in prison on the charges.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Brandon Ogburn of the Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Unit.
