Man who performed as kids magician in RI gets prison for exploiting children in Cambodia
BOSTON – A Massachusetts man who performed as a magician for children in Rhode Island and other New England states was sentenced to 6½ years in prison Thursday for exploiting children in Cambodia.
Scott Jameson, 47, of Sutton pleaded guilty in November to one count of illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and one count of transportation of child pornography, Acting United States Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua S. Levy said in a press release.
More: Ex-Providence priest sentenced to prison for 'egregious' crimes. What to know.
In early 2022, Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE), a Cambodian organization that works to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation, contacted authorities in the United States to report that Jameson engaged in inappropriate behavior with minors in Cambodia, Levy said.
An investigation showed that Jameson, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Ireland, would give gifts and money to children and their families in Cambodia, Levy said. Children reported that Jameson would visit the pagoda where they lived and sleep in a room with the children, according to Levy.
Returning from Cambodia in October 2022, Levy was stopped at Boston Logan International Airport, where a search of his belongings revealed a video he made showing the genitals of a young boy, according to Levy. Investigators also discovered that Jameson's laptop had been used to view images of child sexual exploitation material, Levy said.
Where in RI did Jameson perform magic tricks?
During an interview with law enforcement, Jameson told investigators that he worked as a magician for more than 20 years, performing at libraries and private family events across New England, usually for children as young as kindergarten age and up to the eighth grade, Levy said.
Archival reports in The Journal and other publications show event notices for Jameson performing in South Kingstown in 2019, Pawtucket in 2015 and Cumberland in 2022.
“Scott Jameson thought that by traveling overseas to Cambodia in order to sexually exploit children, he could get away with it. He was wrong,” Levy said. “Sexual exploitation of children is unconscionable, regardless of where the victims live."
U.S. Attorney, FBI vow to bring predators to justice
"Our office works with international authorities regularly to make sure that individuals like Mr. Jameson are held accountable for their criminal conduct," Levy said. "We will not cease in our efforts to bring individuals who harm children to justice."
Calling Levy "a predator with a passport," Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Boston division, said the FBI "will continue to go after Americans who travel abroad" to sexually exploit children.
Jameson's prison sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release, according to Levy. He was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns in Boston.
Anyone who has questions, concerns or information about the case should call 617-748-3274, Levy said.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Scott Jameson, magician, gets prison for exploiting Cambodian children
