LEAVENWORTH COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Leavenworth Police Department have arrested a former Leavenworth Planning Commission member on a child sex offense.
On Friday, Nov. 6, at approximately 3 p.m., officers with the Leavenworth Police Department arrested Jonathan D. Kesler, 43, of Leavenworth, on a Leavenworth County arrest warrant. Following his arrest, Kesler was booked into the Leavenworth County Jail.
Kesler was arrested for eight counts of sexual exploitation of a child, involving the possession of media depicting a child under 18.
On March 12, 2026, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) forwarded over thirty cyber-tips to the KBI alleging a Leavenworth resident was in possession of child sexual abuse material.
As part of the investigation, KBI agents obtained a search warrant through the Leavenworth County District Court for a residence near Sherman Avenue and Terrace Road in Leavenworth. On May 20, 2026, KBI agents executed the search warrant at the residence and seized evidence.
Anyone with information related to this investigation is encouraged to call the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at www.kbi.ks.gov/sar.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.