A 31-year-old Honolulu man was sentenced to more than 12-1/2 years in federal prison Tuesday after he groomed two minor girls into sending him “sexually explicit” photos and videos that he shared with other pedophiles, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
Jonathan Farr was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Shanlyn A.S. Park followed by 30 years of supervised release for “receipt of child pornography.”
In the federal case, Farr will pay $3,000 in restitution to the two minor victims and register as a sex offender when he gets out of federal prison.
Farr entered into a plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice on Feb. 14, 2024.
He agreed to plead guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography in exchange for federal prosecutors dropping a charge of distributing child pornography. Federal prosecutors also agreed not to charge Farr with additional offenses related to his treatment of the pair of minor female victims.
Farr was 26 at the time he exploited a 16-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl.
Farr has a pending felony state case after he was indicted Jan. 6, 2023, for two counts of first-degree sexual assault after he allegedly raped a girl between age 14 and 16 between Jan. 5, 2015, and Jan. 4, 2016.
In the federal case in which he received the sentence, Farr used the internet from June 2019 through May 2020 to contact two minor females and engaged in sexually explicit conversations with them.
Farr also “solicited and received images and videos” of the minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, “including masturbation videos,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s office
At sentencing, federal prosecutors explained that Farr not only “groomed the minors over time and solicited sexually explicit images and videos,” but also “distributed those videos to others, including to other minors.”
He discussed purchasing flights for the minors to fly to Hawaii or for him to travel to the mainland to be with them.
“Farr’s predatory conduct included additional victims beyond the two minors who were victimized as part of the federal charges. Farr admitted to law enforcement and told other minor victims that he had hands-on sexual contact with at least three minor females and another minor, all located in Hawaii,” according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office.
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 Opens in a new tab and abuse.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crimes Against Children Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca A. Perlmutter prosecuted the case.
