A Central Massachusetts man who worked as a magician for over two decades has been sentenced to more than six years in prison for sexually exploiting a young child in Cambodia, filming the encounter, and bringing the evidence back to the U.S., authorities said Thursday.
Scott Jameson, 47, of Sutton, pleaded guilty in November to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and transportation of child pornography.
On Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns sentenced the dual U.S. and Irish citizen to 78 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $20,000 in special assessments.
Jameson, who authorities say regularly performed for young children across New England for over 20 years, was arrested in October 2022 after arriving at Boston’s Logan International Airport following a two-month stay in Cambodia.
After searching his belongings, authorities found a video depicting the genitals of a young boy, who was believed to be between the ages of 5 and 7.
Jameson later admitted to police he had created the video in Cambodia, and then transferred it to a hard drive, which he was carrying in his luggage.
“This predator with a passport traveled halfway around the world and engaged in illicit sexual conduct with a child and then brought back home evidence of that sexual abuse so he could relive it for his own sick gratification,” Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Office, said Thursday.
Federal authorities began investigating Jameson nearly two years ago after they were contacted by the Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE) Cambodia, a non-governmental group that works to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation.
The organization informed the FBI that Jameson had engaged in inappropriate behavior with minors in Cambodia.
“Scott Jameson thought that by traveling overseas to Cambodia in order to sexually exploit children, he could get away with it,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “He was wrong.”
According to Levy, U.S. officials regularly work with international authorities to make sure sexual offenders like Jameson are held accountable for their crimes.
“Sexual exploitation of children is unconscionable, regardless of where the victims live,” he said.
