Man who had KY girlfriend take explicit photos of little girls gets 40 years
A man who directed his girlfriend in Kentucky to take explicit photos of a 3-year-old girl has been sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Jonathan Edward Manigault, 36, of South Carolina was sentenced Monday in federal court in Lexington.
His girlfriend, Christina Brook Mitchell, 32, was sentenced earlier to 35 years in prison for her role in the crime, according to court records.
Mitchell lived in Pikeville and Manigault lived in Myrtle Beach. Mitchell told police in 2018 that they had been dating for about two years.
The criminal case started after Pikeville police got a tip that Mitchell had photos on her telephone of a little girl in a sexual pose. Mitchell showed police her phone, which had multiple images of child pornography, according to court records.
Mitchell admitted taking sexually explicit photos of a 3-year-old girl and an 8-year-old girl in 2017 and 2018 and providing them to Manigault through Facebook Messenger.
Manigault sent Mitchell messages detailing how he wanted her to pose the victims, according to the court record.
Mitchell’s attorney raised the potential of using an insanity defense in the case, but she ultimately pleaded guilty to producing child pornography.
Manigault pleaded guilty to producing and receiving child pornography.
His attorney said a 15-year sentence would be proper, arguing that Maingault didn’t force Mitchell to take the photos, but U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell imposed the much longer sentence.
Manigault and Mitchell will have to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences.
“One of the greatest responsibilities of law enforcement is to protect young children from sexual exploitation, abuse, and the damage it causes,” acting U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV said in a news release. “As this case shows, there are some who prey on astonishingly vulnerable victims.”
