Ronald Pate Newman, III, a 27-year-old from Youngstown, Ohio, has pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of producing child pornography. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated: “This case exemplifies the threats our kids face online from disgusting predators like this defendant who seek to sexually exploit and victimize them. My office is committed to aggressively prosecuting cases like these, and will seek maximum punishments to keep monsters like him locked away in prison and unable to exploit more children.”
According to court documents, law enforcement discovered on April 28, 2025, that Newman—who had previous sex offense convictions—was using an 11-year-old child from Florida to create explicit images. Authorities say Newman initially contacted the victim through an account designed for publicly appropriate content but soon persuaded the child to communicate privately. He then groomed the victim and directed them to produce sexually explicit photographs which he distributed through other accounts. When arrested in Ohio, investigators found over 500 images of child pornography during a forensic review of his devices.
Due to his prior convictions, Newman faces a mandatory minimum sentence of thirty-five years in prison and could be sentenced up to life imprisonment. If released, he would be subject to lifetime supervision.
The investigation involved cooperation between the Levy County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt is handling prosecution duties.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 28, 2026 at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
The case falls under Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation by coordinating resources across federal, state, and local agencies for prosecution efforts and victim rescue operations. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida operates as one of ninety-four offices serving as principal litigators under direction of the Attorney General nationwide; additional details are available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
