Jesse Roger Armstrong, a 35-year-old former physician from Gainesville, Florida, has been sentenced to 90 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing child pornography. The sentencing was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court documents, Armstrong knowingly uploaded images of child pornography to the internet while also searching for additional illegal material. During their investigation, detectives from the Gainesville Police Department found more files containing child pornography and images depicting sexual bestiality on Armstrong’s electronic devices at his home. At the time these offenses occurred, Armstrong was completing his residency in the psychiatric division of a local hospital.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated, “Our state and federal law enforcement partners are committed to identifying, investigating, and rooting out the scourge of exploitation and sexual abuse of children online, and my office will continue to back up those efforts with aggressive prosecutions of anyone found to be peddling in child sexual abuse material. Keeping our kids safe is the highest priority for my office, and it begins with sending predators like this defendant to prison.”
Chief Nelson Moya of the Gainesville Police Department commented on law enforcement’s ongoing commitment: “Keeping our children safe online is a priority. We will continue to pursue anyone who chooses to prey on our children via the internet.”
Nick Ingegno, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Tallahassee said, “HSI is committed to protecting children from exploitation, especially when offenders are in trusted roles like physicians. Abusing that trust is unacceptable, and we will continue working with our partners to hold these individuals accountable and safeguard our communities.”
The case was investigated jointly by the Gainesville Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations unit. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner prosecuted the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006—which brings together federal, state, and local resources to address child sexual exploitation online and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices serving as principal litigators under direction from the Attorney General. Public court documents can be accessed through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. Additional details about this office are available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
