A3P Research: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s 8-year Record of Granting Excessively Lenient Sentences in at least 8 of 8 (100%) Child Pornography Cases

1. United States v. Wesley Hawkins (judgment date: November 22, 2013; only 3-month sentence prison; no computer monitoring ordered; reoffended; second release date: January 26, 2020):

Case Summary:

Charge(s):

Possession of child pornography

5 YouTube posts; 16 images and 17 videos, including 8-, 11-, and 12-year-old males

– U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Minimum: 97 months

– U.S. Attorney’s Recommended Minimum: 24 months

– Her Court Staff (probation officer) Recommended Minimum: 18 months

– Judge Jackson’s Sentence: 3 months (97% below Guidelines)

[NOTE: Hawkins reoffended within 97 months; Jackson did not order computer monitoring after only a 3-month prison sentence]

[WARNING: graphic and detailed description of child sex abuse on pages 2 through 4]

Hawkins Prosecutor Sentencing Memo: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hawkins-Prosecutor-Memo.pdf

Hawkins Sentencing Transcript: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hawkins-Sentencing-Transcript.pdf

2. United States v. Neil Stewart (judgment date: February 27, 2017; prison release date: December 27, 2019):

Case Summary:

Charge(s):

Possession of child pornography

Possessed thousands of videos and pictures, said he may travel across state lines to visit a 9-year-old girl and sexually abuse her

– U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Minimum: 97 months

– U.S. Attorney’s Recommended Sentencing Minimum: 97 months

– Her Court Staff (probation officer) Recommended Minimum: 42 months

– Judge Jackson’s Sentence: 57 months (41% below Guidelines)

[WARNING: graphic and detailed description of child sex abuse on pages 2 through 5]

Stewart Prosecutor Sentencing Memo: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Stewart-Prosecutor-Memo.pdf 

Stewart Sentencing Transcript: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Stewart-Sentencing-Transcript.pdf

3. United States v. Brian Dennis Hess (judgment date: September 11, 2017; prison release date: July 8, 2021):

Case Summary:

Charge(s):

Distribution of child pornography

Over 600 pictures found on phone; said his own daughter was in some of the photos

– U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Minimum: 151 months

– U.S. Attorney’s Recommended Minimum: 60 months

– Her Court Staff (probation officer) Recommended Minimum: 60 months

– Judge Jackson’s Sentence: 60 months (60% below Guidelines)

[NOTE: statutory 5-year mandatory minimum; take-or-leave Rule 11(c)(1)(C) plea]

[WARNING: graphic and detailed description of child sex abuse on pages 2 through 4]

Hess Prosecutor Sentencing Memo: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hess-Prosecutor-Memo.pdf 

Hess Sentencing Transcript: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hess-Sentencing-Transcript.pdf

4. United States v. Jeremy Sears (judgment date: May 17, 2019; prison release date: December 6, 2023):

Case Summary:

Distributed over 100 videos, along with sexual images of his 10-year-old daughter

Charge(s):

Distribution of child pornography

– U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Minimum: 97 months

– U.S. Attorney’s Recommended Minimum: 97 months

– Her Court Staff (probation officer) Recommended Minimum: 120 months

– Judge Jackson’s Sentence: 71 months (27% below Guidelines)

[WARNING: graphic and detailed description of child sex abuse on pages 2 through 5]

Sears Prosecutor Sentencing Memo: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Sears-Prosecutor-Memo.pdf

Sears Sentencing Transcript: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Sears-Sentencing-Transcript.pdf 

5. United States v. Christopher Michael Downs (judgment date: July 24, 2020; prison release date: December 21, 2022):

Case Summary:

Charge(s):

Distribution of child pornography

More than 30 media files posted on an app, including infant abuse, and boasted about sexually abusing 13-year-old cousin

– U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Minimum: 70 months

– U.S. Attorney’s Recommended Minimum: 70 months

– Her Court Staff (probation officer) Recommended Minimum: 60 months

– Judge Jackson’s Sentence: 60 months (14% below Guidelines; statutory mandatory-minimum sentence)

[WARNING: graphic and detailed description of child sex abuse on pages 3 through 8.] 

Downs Prosecutor Sentencing Memo: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Downs-Prosecutor-Memo.pdf

Downs Sentencing Transcript: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Downs-Sentencing-Transcript.pdf

6. United States v. Ryan Manning Cooper (judgment date: May 5, 2021; prison release date: August 5, 2024):

Case Summary:

Charge(s):

Distribution of child pornography

Public blogs; posted 45 pictures; possession of 600+ images, including prepubescent boys

– U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Minimum: 151 months

– U.S. Attorney’s Recommended Minimum: 72 months

– Her Court Staff (probation officer) Recommended Minimum: 60 months

– Judge Jackson’s Sentence: 60 months (60% below Guidelines; statutory mandatory minimum sentence)

[WARNING: graphic and detailed description of child sex abuse on page 4]

Cooper Prosecutor Sentencing Memo: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Cooper-Prosecutor-Memo.pdf

Cooper Sentencing Transcript: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Cooper-Sentencing-Transcript.pdf

7.   United States v. Lucas W. Cane (judgment date: May 19, 2021; prison release date: November 30, 2022):

Case Summary:

Charge(s):

Distribution of child pornography

Distributed 30+GB of data, specifically posted 6,500+ files in anonymous group named “Pedos Only”; posted children who were elementary school age and older 

–       U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Minimum: 97

–       U.S. Attorney’s Recommended Minimum: Under Seal

–       Her Court Staff (probation officer) Recommended Minimum: 84 Months

–       Judge Jackson’s Sentence: 60 Months (31% below Guidelines)

[NOTE: statutory mandatory-minimum sentence; Judge Jackson sentenced below her own court staff’s recommendation; despite this sentencing occurring less than a year ago, Judge Jackson failed to identify this as a child sex-abuse case at her Supreme Court nomination hearing: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ketanji-brown-jackson-child-porn-sentence-cover-up]

Cane Prosecutor Sentencing Memo:

Under Seal

Cane Sentencing Transcript: https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Cane-Sentencing-Transcript.pdf

8. United States v. Adam Chazin (judgment date: May 25, 2021; prison released date: May 20, 2023):

Case Summary:

Over a period of two years, collected just under 50 child pornography files, including prepubescent girls and toddlers

Charge(s):

Possession of child pornography

– U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Minimum: 78 months

– U.S. Attorney’s Recommended Minimum: 78 months

– Her Court Staff (probation officer) Recommended Minimum: 28 months

– Judge Jackson’s Sentence: 28 months (64% below Guidelines)

[WARNING: graphic and detailed description of child sex abuse on page 2]

Chazin Prosecutor Memo:

https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Chazin-Prosecutor-Memo.pdf

[WARNING: graphic and detailed description of child sex abuse on page 44]

Chazin Sentencing Transcript:

https://article3project.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Chazin-Sentencing-Transcript.pdf

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