May 03, 2026

Kearney Man Sentenced to 6½ Years for Child Pornography Charge

Posted May 03, 2026 3:38 PM
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A Kearney man has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for transporting child pornography.

Federal prosecutors say 27-year-old Jonathan Wagner was sentenced to 78 months in prison in U.S. District Court in Lincoln.

According to investigators, Wagner was identified after uploading files containing child pornography online. A federal search warrant executed on one of his accounts revealed dozens of image and video files. A subsequent search of his residence led to the seizure of devices that contained a significantly larger number of illicit images and files.

Johnathan Wagner (Nebraska Sex Offender Registry)
Johnathan Wagner (Nebraska Sex Offender Registry)

Authorities say Wagner will also be required to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence and must pay $3,000 in restitution.

The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative focused on combating child exploitation.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations.