COLORADO CITY — Most Mohave County child pornography possession defendants enter plea agreements to spare themselves the harsh punishment consequences mandated under Arizona law for such crimes in the instance of conviction. But Jerry Black rolled the dice, took his case to trial, was found guilty of all counts, and now faces at least a century behind bars.
The 50-year-old Hildale, Utah man was charged with ten counts of sexual exploitation of a minor for child pornography material found on electronic devices within his office during a Nov., 2025 search of his business at 55 North Pioneer Street in Colorado City.
Defense attorney Paul Amann conceded the material was retrieved from his clients’ devices. He said, however, that Black was not responsible for any of it.
Amann told the jury that the former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints with more than 20 siblings was an engineer and a “go-to” guy for people in the community in need of computer repairs. He also said that others had access to his accounts and that someone else would be responsible for the child porn found in his devices.
Deputy county attorney Leah Nelson told the jurors that the evidence and testimony would convince them of Black’s guilt. The panel deliberated for about an hour on March 26 before convicting Black of all ten counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, each of them requiring at least ten years in prison and that they be served consecutively.
Black is facing a 100-170-year prison term when sentenced April 23 by Judge Megan McCoy.
Dave Hawkins
