A former part-time worker at Minneapolis's Children's Theatre Company is facing federal charges that accuse him of receiving and later possessing child pornography, in a case that has rattled some families because of his supervisory work with student actors. Theatre leaders have stressed to parents that the alleged conduct did not involve students and did not happen on company property.
According to FOX 9, a federal grand jury in U.S. District Court returned an indictment last month charging Ricky McAllister with one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. The indictment alleges that images were received on March 28, 2022, and that McAllister still had child sexual abuse material in his possession on June 12, 2025.
Children's Theatre Company confirmed that McAllister worked part time as a stagehand and as a student-actor supervisor. He is listed on run crew and as a student supervisor in CTC's staff spotlight and season programs, according to Children's Theatre Company and production materials. The theatre's public materials also emphasize a zero-tolerance child safety policy and detailed adult-youth engagement rules on its website.
What the theatre told families
In a notice to families, CTC said the federal indictment was "limited to actions that occurred outside of CTC's premises and on Mr. McAllister's personal devices," and reiterated that "At CTC, nothing is more important than the safety of the children and families we serve." The theatre added that it cannot predict the outcome of any criminal investigation and said it is cooperating with law enforcement, as reported by FOX 9.
Federal charges and penalties
The two counts in the indictment fall under federal child-exploitation statutes that criminalize receipt and possession of child pornography. 18 U.S.C. §2252A and related federal guidance describe criminal penalties that can range from multiple years to decades in prison, depending on the specific offense, the conduct alleged, and any prior convictions. For a plain-language overview of the federal statutes and possible penalties, see 18 U.S.C. §2252A and the Department of Justice's citizen guide to federal child-pornography law.
What happens next
After a federal grand jury returns a true bill of indictment, the defendant typically appears for arraignment in U.S. District Court, where the charges are read and a plea is entered. Procedural rules for arraignment are set out in Rule 10 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. In Minnesota, federal prosecutors have often handled child-exploitation matters through multi-agency efforts such as Project Safe Childhood, which coordinates local, state, and federal resources on these investigations and has been used in several recent prosecutions by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Broader context
Federal enforcement of online child-exploitation offenses has been active in the region in recent months, from AI-related production cases to online distribution prosecutions, a pattern that federal authorities point to when highlighting coordinated investigations and significant penalties. For background on a recent local prosecution trend, see reporting on a 2026 case involving AI-generated child sexual imagery in the Twin Cities.
The indictment is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The case remains under investigation, and further filings or court dates will appear on public federal dockets as they are entered.
