A former soldier previously stationed at Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for sexually abusing four children left in his care. Jonathan Gentry, 36, was convicted of molesting six children between January 2010 and February 2014. He had earlier been prosecuted in military court in August 2013 for sexually abusing two 13-year-olds and served a two-year sentence.
According to court records, additional victims came forward years later. In April 2020, two children reported that Gentry had abused them while he lived on JBLM. One child was between 10 and 11 years old at the time, while the other was between ages five and nine. Both said Gentry threatened to harm their families if they did not comply or told anyone about the abuse. Another victim, who was three to five years old during the abuse, disclosed the events in April 2024. A fourth victim revealed being abused during a sleepover in June 2013; this disclosure occurred in March 2023.
At sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo described the crimes as “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.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller commented on the case: “This defendant used threats of terrible harm to silence his victims. 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.”
On December 4, 2024, a grand jury indicted Gentry on multiple counts including aggravated sexual abuse of a minor and abusive sexual contact with a minor. He pleaded guilty on July 2, 2025.
Prosecutors requested a longer sentence, noting in their statement: “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.”
During court proceedings, three victims described how Gentry’s actions affected them: “my innocence was taken, my childhood was taken,” one stated. Another added: “No amount of time he serves can compare to the loss of our childhood and the years that were stolen from us.”
Judge Estudillo addressed the survivors directly: “No words I can say will ever alleviate the pain and suffering you have gone through.” He also ordered that after serving his prison term, Gentry will spend an additional twenty years under supervised release.
W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office said: “It is heartbreaking that these children suffered this abuse at such a young age, and by someone who should have protected them… I commend them for their steadfast resolve in speaking up to ensure accountability and attempt to protect other children from potential abuse… 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 investigation into Gentry’s crimes was led by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon and Kristine Foerster prosecuted the case.
