Cabell County Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Johnathan Matthew Taylor, 31, of Barboursville, pleaded guilty today to failure to update his registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about January 17, 2026, through on or about February 17, 2026, Taylor failed to update his registration after changing his employment.

Taylor is required to register as a sex offender following his conviction for traveling in interstate commerce in order to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on August 8, 2019. Taylor was serving a term of supervised release for that conviction at the time of his current offense.

Law enforcement officers arrested Taylor on April 2, 2026, following his indictment on his current offense as part of Operation Spring Sweep, a nearly month-long warrant and fugitive sweep led by the U.S. Marshals Southern District of West Virginia Cops United Felony Fugitive Enforcement Division (CUFFED) Task Force that targeted noncompliant sex offenders, individuals wanted for sex crimes, and violent fugitives.

Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.

SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. by searching for Case No. 3:26-cr-34.

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