Former JBLM soldier, convicted previously of child sexual abuse in military court, sentenced today to 25 years in prison for sexual abuse of four other minors

Tacoma - A former soldier, previously stationed at Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM), was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 25 years in prison for the sexual abuse of four young children who had been left in his care. Johnathan Gentry, 36, molested six children between January 2010 and February 2014. In August of 2013, he was arrested and prosecuted in military court for sexually molesting two 13-year-olds. He was sentenced to two years in military prison. It was only years later that four other children, also left in his care, disclosed horrific sexual abuse.

At the sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, "This is the most serious kind of conduct that comes before this court… The victims were helpless children. You were the monster that was living with them. You scarred these victims for the rest of their lives."

"This defendant used threats of terrible harm to silence his victims," said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. "These children showed great courage stepping forward to report sexual abuse that happened when they were as young as 3-years-old. The children report being strangled or forced to drink alcohol so that Gentry could molest them. Such conduct must be punished by significant prison time."

According to records filed in the case, in April 2020, two children disclosed the sexual abuse that happened during the time Gentry lived on JBLM. One child was 10 or 11 years old at the time of the sexual abuse, the other was between 5 and 9-years-old. In both cases Gentry threatened to harm the children's families if they did not submit to the abuse or told anyone about the abuse. The third victim was between 3 and 5 years old at the time of the abuse and disclosed the abuse to a trusted adult in April 2024. Finally, a fourth victim, who was on a sleepover at the home when sexual abuse occurred in June 2013, disclosed the abuse in March 2023.

On December 4, 2024, a grand jury indicted Gentry for five counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, one count of abusive sexual contact with a minor and one count of sexual abuse of a minor. On July 2, 2025, Gentry pleaded guilty to three counts of abusive sexual contact with a minor and one count of sexual abuse of a minor.

In asking for a 30-year prison sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, "Gentry repeatedly raped and molested vulnerable children in his care. The seriousness of offenses like Gentry's is measured both by the resulting trauma for these survivors and by its contribution to a national child sexual abuse epidemic. For decades, researchers have documented the staggering prevalence of child sexual abuse in America and the lifelong damage that such abuse inflicts on victims-from heightened suicide risk to increased prevalence of drug and alcohol use and myriad other mental health disorders."

Speaking in court, three of the victims described the terrible impact Gentry had on their lives: "my innocence was taken, my childhood was taken," one said. "No amount of time he serves can compare to the loss of our childhood and the years that were stolen from us," another told the court.

Chief Juge Estudillo told them, "No words I can say will ever alleviate the pain and suffering you have gone through." He ordered that Gentry serve 20 years of supervised release following the prison term.

"It is heartbreaking that these children suffered this abuse at such a young age, and by someone who should have protected them," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "I commend them for their steadfast resolve in speaking up to ensure accountability and attempt to protect other children from potential abuse. Mr. Gentry, as a former servicemember, had a responsibility to defend the vulnerable, not exploit them. While no sentence can undo what happened to the victims, I hope this lengthy sentence sends a message to other would-be offenders that the FBI and our partners will investigate and prosecute child predators."

The case was investigated by the FBI.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon and Kristine Foerster.