Scott Allison, a 58-year-old man from Glasgow, Kentucky, admitted his guilt in federal court in Boston to the charge of advertising child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the dark web according to the Department of Justice's U.S. Attorney from the District of Massachusetts.
Initially charged by criminal complaint in November 2021 in the Western District of Kentucky, and indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in December 2021, Allison was identified in April 2021 as a person who was advertising and posting links to CSAM, which included images of boys as young as approximately two years old. As a moderator, Allison used the dark web to disseminate this disturbing material, utilizing at least two different usernames on various websites, and ultimately amassing a terrifying collection of around 130,000 images and videos of CSAM.
A search of Allison's home in November 2021 led to the grim discovery of an external hard drive plugged into his computer in his bedroom, where those countless images and videos were stored. Additionally, the content or text of approximately 108,000 posts to child pornography websites were found saved on his computer. Beyond the technological evidence, a box containing boy's underwear, diapers, and condoms as well as a silicone mold of a boy's buttocks with partial genitalia were discovered during the search.
This case represents a small triumph in the fight against child exploitation, thanks to the combined efforts of federal, state, and local resources who work tirelessly to locate, apprehend and prosecute those responsible for preying on the innocence of children, and to rescue those victims who have had their lives irreparably altered by these heinous crimes. The charge leveled against Allison, that of advertisement of child pornography, carries a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The United States has long recognized the severity of this ever-growing epidemic and has sought to tackle it head-on through initiatives such as Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood brings together the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the DOJ's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section to coordinate federal, state, and local efforts to combat the issue of child sexual exploitation and abuse. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found on their website.
