Local men arraigned in federal court in separate cases alleging child exploitation via online chat, social media sites & in-person abuse

CINCINNATI - Two men alleged to have committed child exploitation crimes were arraigned in federal court today in Cincinnati in two separate cases.

Jonathan Travis Mackey, 46, of Loveland, allegedly exploited child victims both online and in person while employed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Mackey was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 30 and charged with sexually exploiting a child and receiving child pornography.

According to his court documents, Mackey chatted online with whom he believed to be an approximately 13-year-old girl and enticed her to send him sexually explicit photos. Mackey sent messages on Discord that were sexual in nature and allegedly planned to meet in person at a hotel near her home. Mackey's Discord activity also allegedly included messages with an adult woman in which Mackey and the woman discuss their desires to sexually abuse minors.

It is also alleged that Mackey exploited a second victim through hands-on sexual abuse.

If convicted as charged, Mackey could face up to 50 years in prison.

Kyle Rist, 38, of Cincinnati, was also indicted by a federal grand jury on April 30. He is charged with coercion and enticement, 16 counts of sexually exploiting minors, receiving child pornography and possessing child pornography.

According to his charging documents, in September 2023, the grandparents of a teenaged victim alerted law enforcement in Oregon that their granddaughter had been sending and receiving sexually explicit videos of herself and of Rist, who is also known as Jeremy Hadley, through Facebook.

A publicly-filed affidavit details that Rist referred to himself as daddy to the victim and also told the victim they were in a relationship. It is alleged that Rist - pretending to be another man by the name of Jeremy Hadley - had ongoing online discussions with the same teenage victim.

It is alleged that between August and November 2024, Rist sexually exploited a second 7-year-old child in person by producing visual depictions of the victim engaging in and assisting another person in sexually explicit conduct.

If convicted as charged, Rist could face up to life in prison.

Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Jason J. Scalzo, Special Agent in Charge of the FDIC Office of Inspector General Electronic Crimes Unit; and officials with the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle J. Healey and Danielle E. Margeaux are representing the United States in this case.

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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