Jury Finds Man Guilty of 20 Counts of Possessing Child Pornography

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that Rodney Ternovsky was found guilty by a Clay County jury of 20 counts of Possession of Photographs/Sexual Performance of a Child and one count of Transmission of Child Pornography by Electronic Device. Each Possession count is punishable by up to 15 years in prison; the Transmission count is punishable by up to 5 years in prison. If sentenced consecutively on each charge, Ternovsky would face up to 305 years. The Honorable Steven Whittington will sentence Ternovsky on April 6, 2022.

On Feb. 15, 2018, members of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on Ternovsky’s Orange Park residence as part of a child pornography investigation. Ternovsky met with a detective at the time of the search and provided information about his living situation and internet access and security before asking for an attorney. Ternovsky also provided detectives with access to his gun safe in his bedroom. The search resulted in seizure of several electronic devices and two thumb drives, one in Ternovsky’s workbag and another inside a lock box inside the safe. The search resulted in law enforcement finding numerous videos and images of child pornography, sexual battery, and sexual exploitation of prepubescent female children. Ternovsky was arrested and subsequently charged for the crimes.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Tonya Patterson-Barge and Randi Daugustinis.