Local magician who performed in Fall River, across New England, pleads guilty to child pornography offenses

BOSTON – A Sutton man who worked as a magician for over 20 years pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and transportation of child pornography.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Justice, 46-year-old Scott Jameson pleaded guilty to one count of illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and one count of transportation of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for March 7, 2024. Jameson was charged by criminal complaint in October 2022.

In early 2022, Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE), a Cambodian Non-Governmental Organization founded to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation, contacted federal authorities to report that Jameson engaged in inappropriate behavior with minors in Cambodia.

In September 2022, authorities in the United States were notified that Jameson, a dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, had again traveled from Boston to Cambodia in August 2022. Upon his return to the United States on Oct. 19, 2022, Jameson was stopped at Logan Airport. During a search of his belongings, a video was discovered which he produced during his most recent trip to Cambodia, depicting the genitals of a young boy, 5-7 years old.

During a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Jameson stated that he worked as a magician for over 20 years, regularly performing at libraries and private and family events across New England, usually for children as young as kindergarten age and up to the eighth grade. He admitted to creating the video and transferring it from his camera to a hard drive that he possessed when he was stopped at Logan Airport.

The charge of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of transportation of child pornography provides for a sentence of not less than five years and not more than 20 years, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Sutton Police Chief Dennis J. Towle made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by United States Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations and the Littleton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.