GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Holland man has been sentenced for producing child pornography.
Thirty-seven-year-old Jonathon Thomas Burgett will spend 30 years behind bars for sexually exploiting a minor, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office – Western District of Michigan.
We’re told authorities caught Burgett snapping pictures through an adult woman’s Allegan County window when they went through his phone and discovered hundreds of explicit photos depicting a 4-year-old.
“This type of predation harms some of the most vulnerable members of our society and can cause lasting damage,” says U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “My office will always pursue people who create child pornography and we will seek penalties to help protect other children from being victimized.”
U.S. District Judge Jane M. Beckering says Burgett has a lengthy history of committing similar crimes, adding he has undergone treatment since youth. She says his behavior was “an addiction.”
“The images Burgett created are not merely pictures but are a permanent record of his sexual abuse and exploitation of a child,” says FBI Special Agent James A. Tarasca, Special. “I struggle to think of behavior more reprehensible, and that is why investigating child predators is a priority for the FBI. I would like to thank the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office for bringing this defendant to our attention and for its assistance in obtaining some measure of justice for this victim.”
Those with knowledge of children being potentially exploited are urged to connect with their local law enforcement agencies.
Visit the Department of Justice’s website for more information about Project Safe Childhood.
