Jose Colon, age 52, of Bloomfield, New Jersey, was sentenced on May 19 to 300 months in prison by United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for three counts of production of child pornography and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Colon communicated with several minor victims and enticed them into creating sexually explicit images that he directed them to send via cellphone. When the Department of Homeland Security executed a search warrant for Colon’s cellular devices in 2024, he was found in possession of multiple illegal firearms as a convicted felon, including a stolen handgun.
“Homeland Security Investigations remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting children from those who seek to exploit their vulnerability for personal gain,” said HSI Philadelphia Acting Special Agent in Charge Nathan Abel. “This sentence is a result of HSI’s relentless pursuit to prosecute predators who manipulate and coerce minors into illegal acts, and we will use every resource at our disposal to bring them to justice. Most importantly, our efforts in this case provided an opportunity to rescue five young victims and ensure they are no longer subject to this abuse. The safety and well-being of our nation’s children will always be our top priority.”
The Department of Homeland Security and the Stroud Area Regional Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, which began in May 2006 by the Department of Justice as an initiative against child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project brings together federal, state, and local resources both for prosecution and victim rescue efforts.
The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania handles prosecutions such as this one across its region serving about 3.2 million residents over more than 21,000 square miles; it also provides community safety initiatives like Project Safe Neighborhoods along with re-entry services designed to reduce recidivism according to the official website.
