by Kolby LaMarche
A 45-year-old South Burlington man was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice minors to produce child sexual abuse material.
Jason McGrath appeared in U.S. District Court in Burlington before Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil. He pleaded guilty in June 2025 to one count of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont, McGrath used an online messaging application to communicate with multiple individuals between late 2023 and early 2024. He offered cash payments in exchange for sexually explicit images and videos of children.
In one instance, investigators said McGrath wired money to obtain images of an 8-year-old child. In a separate series of conversations, he exchanged more than 1,800 messages with a third party.
During those messages, McGrath provided step-by-step instructions on how to sexually abuse an 11-year-old girl and repeatedly demanded photographic proof that the abuse had occurred, records show.
Federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force executed a search warrant at McGrath’s South Burlington residence in March 2024.
Electronic devices seized during the search contained evidence of the communications and financial transactions.
McGrath was arrested the same day and has remained in federal custody since then.
In addition to the 120-month prison term, Judge Vyskocil ordered 10 years of supervised release after McGrath completes his sentence. Conditions of supervised release include registration as a sex offender, restrictions on internet access, and a ban on contact with minors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ophardt prosecuted the case. Assistant Federal Public Defender Carmen Brooks represented McGrath.
Investigators credited close cooperation among multiple agencies for the successful outcome. In addition to HSI and the Vermont ICAC Task Force, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department provided assistance during the investigation.
The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat online child sexual exploitation.
Vermont’s ICAC Task Force, housed within the Vermont State Police, has handled dozens of similar cases in recent years, many involving encrypted messaging apps and cryptocurrency payments.
While the victims in this case were not located in Vermont, federal authorities said the children have been identified and are receiving support services.
The sentencing comes at a time when law enforcement agencies across the country report a sharp increase in online child exploitation cases.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children said its CyberTipline received more than 32 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation in 2024, the majority involving the distribution of child sexual abuse material online.
In Vermont, state officials have requested additional funding for the ICAC Task Force in the upcoming legislative session to keep pace with the growing volume of digital evidence.
McGrath was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service immediately after Tuesday’s hearing and will begin serving his sentence at a federal facility yet to be designated.