CLEVELAND — The man at the center of an Amber Alert involving a 5-year-old girl who went missing from a Goodwill store in Jackson Township last year has decided to plead guilty.
Jonathan Stinnett admitted to federal charges of kidnapping in connection with the case as well as possession of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6.
Stinnett was arrested hours after Ohio issued an Amber Alert for the child on Nov. 12 when he was found with the child several states away in Illinois. Stinnett was taken into custody without incident, and the girl was safely removed from the vehicle involved and taken into police protection.
During the investigation, police also located a flash drive containing multiple illegal images of children. Charges relating to the same were subsequently added to the 36-year-old Stinnett's indictment.
"Thanks to quick work of law enforcement and a vigilant community, an innocent child was reunited with their family and spared from an unknown fate," Michelle M. Baeppler, acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said in a statement. "Nothing unites all of us in this region more than working to protect and ensure the safety of our children."
When the girl went missing, authorities initially activated an Endangered Missing Child Alert. Police said they wanted to issue an Amber Alert, but that didn't happen for almost 24 hours. 3News' Lydia Esparra previously reported that Ohio State Highway Patrol Watch Desk issues the Amber Alert.
Lt. Nathan Dennis says there are certain parameters to issue one — including evidence of an immediate threat injury or loss of child. He noted they issued a missing child and endangered child, which is a step down from an Amber Alert.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- RELATED: Bond set at $1 million for man arrested in connection with Amber Alert from Stark County involving 5-year-old girl
- RELATED: Why wasn’t an Amber Alert issued sooner when 5-year-old Ana Burke went missing in Jackson Township?
- RELATED: 36-year-old man charged with kidnapping, abduction of 5-year-old Jackson Township girl at center of Amber Alert
- RELATED: Amber Alert cancelled for 5-year-old girl from Jackson Township
Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous story involving this case on Nov. 22, 2021.