San Jose man given 5-years in federal prison for child pornography conviction

PEORIA (25 News Now) - A San Jose man who may have distributed and received hundreds of images or videos of child pornography has been sentenced in federal court to five-years in prison, to be followed by 10-years of supervised release.

Joshua Skelton, 42, has been jailed since his arrest in November of 2021. Last September, Skelton pleaded guilty to distribution and receipt of child pornography.

In a news release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Skelton “engaged in the receipt, distribution, and trading of child pornography of prepubescent children.”

By Skelton’s own statements, he traded between 100 and 200 images using online chatting apps, federal prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said the judge found Skelton distributed and received more than 600 images or videos of child pornography, and at least one of the images “included sexually explicit conduct involving a toddler or portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct.

Senior U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough sentenced Skelton.

His arrest was the result of an investigation by the FBI’s Springfield Field Office, Illinois State Police and the Logan County Sheriff’s Office.