YOUNGSTOWN — Jamarion Aaron, 24, of Warren was sentenced to three years in prison Thursday for giving a video of him having consensual sex with a 16-year-old girl to another female who he knew was going to post it on social media. That female also was indicted.

Aaron pleaded guilty Oct. 2 to attempted pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, a third-degree felony. Prosecutors said they would recommend that Aaron get three years in prison.

In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dismissed three other charges, all high-level felonies.

Aaron gets credit for 224 days already served in the Mahoning County jail awaiting trial. He has to register as a tier 2 sex offender in the place where he lives every 180 days for 25 years after he leaves prison.

His offenses were in 2023 and 2024 in Mahoning County, according to his indictment.

‘FIRST LINK’

Mahoning County Assistant Prosecutor Caitlyn Andrews told Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge John Durkin that Aaron was “kind of the first link in the chain of events that ultimately led to the posting of child pornography on social media. The defendant had sexual intercourse with the victim in this case when she was 16, Andrews said.

“There were times when he would provide her with Percocets, and they would engage in sexual activity together. Additionally … the defendant recorded the acts on his cellphone without the victim’s consent. She said she did not even know the recordings existed until he threatened to release them. She asked him to delete them, and he said no,” Andrews said.

Aaron then began speaking with a co-defendant in the case, Angelina Mulholland, Andrews said. In those conversations, Aaron told her he had videos, and she asked for them.

“When he speaks with police, he claims that he didn’t know what they were going to be used for. But it’s clear from their messages that he was well aware,” Andrews said. Andrews read from messages, in which Mulholland asked Aaron for material that she could “expose.”

Andrews quoted Aaron, stating, “‘I’ll send you the videos. I don’t care as long as my face isn’t in them.'”

Mulholland responded with “Send that video through. I’m about to heat her up,” Andrews said. “He says ‘Wait, are you trying to post them?’ She said, ‘Yes, and ruin her day.’ He proceeds to send the messages and sends the photos to her,” Andrews said.

“Ultimately, Angela Mulholland did distribute those. And Melanie Neville, who is the third co-defendant, posted those on the internet,” Andrews said.

Mulholland, 31, of Kroeck Avenue in Austintown, pleaded guilty to felony menacing by stalking last week in the case. Durkin sentenced her to two years of probation.

Neville, 19, of North Bon Air Avenue in Youngstown, pleaded guilty to felony menacing by stalking Oct. 31 before Judge Maureen Sweeney and received a recommendation of 90 days in the Mahoning County jail but no prison time. Neville is set for sentencing Dec. 11.

Andrews told Durkin that Aaron deserved three years in prison because “the defendant created child pornography. He recorded the video, engaging in these acts with a 16-year-old.” Whether she consented or not, Aaron broke the law because she was a minor, Andrews said.

“Then he passes that on to others. He is distributing child pornography with the knowledge that this is ultimately … being sent to other people,” Andrews said.

The victim was “being exposed to the public for potentially the rest of her life. He was an adult in this situation. She was a minor, and he took advantage of the fact that she was vulnerable and naive. He created the child pornography and left it out there for the world to see.”

DEFENDANT

Aaron read a long statement, apologizing to the victim and her family, saying he made a selfish decision that will affect the victim’s life. He said he did it to “fit in” and “didn’t have the best childhood growing up.” He turned to street drugs the last three years, became an addict and needed help, he said.

He provided the judge with more than 100 certificates he has earned in jail for learning about trades he can try to work in when he is released from custody. He also provided documentation of his attendance in AA meetings in jail.

DEFENSE REMARKS

His attorney, Mike Kivlighan, said Aaron has only one previous misdemeanor conviction. Having sex with the girl was not illegal, Kivlighan said. “Him recording, that was the problem. More importantly, he should have never shared that … private moment with Angelina and Melanie.”

Aaron also knew that Angelina and Melanie were “I guess feuding with this young lady.” But his client maintains that the victim knew she was being videotaped, Kivlighan said.

He noted that neither of Aaron’s co-defendants has to register as a sex offender as Aaron does. Both are looking at probation instead of prison, Kivlighan said.

Before announcing Aaron’s sentence, Durkin said, “The internet and social media has been, on one hand, such a benefit to individuals.” But, “It has turned into something that can and has created so much damage. And in this case, that is certainly demonstrated with the videos that were provided to two co-defendants and published. And as attorney Andrews has stated, once that door is open, there is virtually no closing it.”