A former Hamilton County, Tennessee, sheriff's deputy has pleaded guilty after posing online as a 14-year-old boy to contact and exploit children, in a case that investigators say involved multiple victims. The case that ended his law enforcement career began with a father in York County, South Carolina, who noticed something wrong on his 13-year-old daughter's phone.
A Father's Discovery Cracked the Case Open
According to Queen City News, the South Carolina father discovered concerning messages on his daughter's phone and contacted police, setting off an investigation that would eventually reach across state lines. Allen, who is a former Tennessee sheriff's deputy, had posed online as a 14-year-old boy named Josh, the outlet reports. Investigators say he used several online platforms to contact and manipulate children, using that fabricated identity to build trust with his victims.
The girl in York County was contacted in September 2024 through Reddit and the TextMe app, according to NewsChannel 9. The York County Sheriff's Office and the FBI investigated the case, with the FBI's Columbia Field Office leading federal involvement, as reported by The State. Homeland Security Investigations and the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office also assisted, per the same report.
Eight Victims Identified Across Five States
As the investigation widened, authorities continued examining Allen's online activity, Queen City News reports. Investigators traveled to Allen's home in Tennessee, where they seized his phone and found evidence connecting him to the online persona and the exploitation of minors.
Allen had worked as a Hamilton County Sheriff's Office deputy since 2021, per NewsChannel 9's reporting. Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett fired Allen effective immediately following a pre-disciplinary hearing, according to FOX Chattanooga, which quoted Garrett telling Allen directly, “You are fired effective immediately.”
Guilty Plea and a 25-Year Sentence
Allen pleaded guilty in federal court to the production of child sexual abuse material, as reported by the Herald. The U.S. Department of Justice's press release on the case likewise confirms that the former deputy pleaded guilty to production of child sexual abuse material.
Reports on Allen's age have varied: the Herald identified him as 27 at the time of his guilty plea and sentencing, while The State reported him as 26 when his indictment was announced. Coverage ahead of sentencing also differed on the potential maximum penalty Allen faced — NewsChannel 9 reported a mandatory minimum of 15 years with a possible maximum of 30 years, while The State reported the mandatory minimum at 15 years with a maximum penalty of life in prison. Neither report specifies which framing ultimately applied to the sentence Judge Lydon handed down.
As part of the sentence, Allen was ordered to register as a sex offender. The sources cited here do not specify how much of any prison term Allen would serve before beginning supervised release.
A Second Case Involving a Rock Hill Officer
Allen's sentencing follows a separate, unrelated case in the region involving law enforcement misconduct. Former Rock Hill Police Department officer Daniel Paul Shealy was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison after a jury convicted him on 18 charges, the Herald reported. The two cases are not connected, but both involve former South Carolina-area officers facing lengthy federal prison terms.
