Houston County military veteran pleads guilty to computer pornography

The charges are from a late night conversation with a minor child over TikTok and SnapChat. Ruiz offered to perform sexual acts with the child, whom he knew.

HOUSTON COUNTY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)- A Houston County military veteran has pleaded guilty to computer pornography and sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to Houston County District Attorney Eric Edwards.

40-year-old Jonathan Scott Ruiz pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of Houston County on January 9, 2025, to one count of computer pornography. Ruiz was sentenced to 20 years with the first 10 years to be served in prison.

According to the press release, Ruiz will be required to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison and will have to abide by sex offender conditions of probation for the remainder of his sentence.

The charges are from a late night conversation with a minor child over TikTok and SnapChat. Ruiz offered to perform sexual acts with the child, whom he knew.

Court documents state that this is not the first time that Ruiz attempted to use social media to engage in this kind of behavior with a child.

District Attorney Eric Edwards released the following statement:

 “Although no physical contact with a minor occurred in this case, it is crucial to understand the gravity of the defendant’s actions. Our office is committed to protecting children from any form of exploitation, including attempts to engage them in inappropriate and harmful behavior online. Cases like this highlight the importance of vigilance and swift action to prevent further harm. We will continue to pursue justice for the most vulnerable members of our community with the utmost seriousness.”

ADA Justin Duane released the following statement:

“Mr. Ruiz is a military veteran who should know better than to solicit sex with a minor child. He tried to exploit social media apps that don’t save messages but, luckily, the child was able to screenshot them. Unfortunately, this type of online predatory behavior is extremely common. I am grateful that the child told someone immediately. Thank you to Sgt. Ondik for all of her hard work on this case and for all of her work seeking justice for children.”