Magician who entertained children in NE gets 6½ years for sex crimes
BOSTON — A magician who performed for children all over New England, including the Attleboro area, was sentenced Thursday to 6½ years in federal prison for transporting child pornography and engaging in illicit sexual conduct in Cambodia.
Scott Jameson, 47, of Sutton, who has been a professional magician and juggler for more than 20 years, was also sentenced to five years’ probation after his gets out of prison, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns also ordered Jameson to pay $20,000 in a special assessment, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
Jameson, who had no prior criminal record, has been free on $10,000 unsecured bond since his arrest by the FBI on Oct. 19, 2022 at Logan International Airport after returning from Cambodia.
He pleaded guilty in November to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and transportation of child pornography, according to court records.
His electronic devices were seized and found to contain 100 images of child pornography. Authorities also found a video produced during his trip to Cambodia that depicts the genitals of an Asian boy about 5 to 7 years old, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
Jameson traveled to
Cambodia in August 2020 where he taught English and stayed at a pagoda where he slept in a bed with two pre-teen boys, according to court records.
Authorities in Cambodia also notified the FBI that Jameson had acted inappropriately with a 10-yearold boy at a park.
Jameson has performed all over New England for 23 years for children as young as kindergarten age. His most recent area appearances were at Plainville Town Hall and the Attleboro Public Library in 2021.
“Scott Jameson thought that by traveling overseas to Cambodia in order to sexually exploit children, he could get away with it. He was wrong,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S.
Levy said in a statement.
“Sexual exploitation of children is unconscionable, regardless of where the victims live,” Levy said.
The U.S. attorney’s office works with international authorities regularly, Levy said, to make sure that those who sexually exploit children are held accountable.
“We will not cease in our efforts to bring individuals who harm children to justice,” Levy said.
In a court filing, federal prosecutors recommended an eight-year prison term, saying it reflected the seriousness of the defendant’s crimes and served as a deterrent.
“Over a series of trips, the defendant repeatedly placed himself into situations where he would be alone with Cambodian boys, providing them with gifts and the use of his electronics. He slept with them, swam with them, took them on outings, and created images and videos of them while they were naked,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto wrote.
His lawyer, Keren Goldenberg of Belmont, recommended Jameson serve a mandatory minimum fiveyear prison term.
Since his arrest, Jameson obtained psychological treatment and his doctor said Jameson has no history of deviant behavior, Goldenberg wrote.
The doctor said Jameson had no sexual attraction to children and was a low risk to commit the crimes again, Goldenberg said.
Besides teaching English,
Jameson was in Cambodia videotaping monks for his YouTube channel. He said it was not uncommon for adult and children at the pagoda to sleep in the same communal room.
Goldenberg described the brief video of the child as a prank. He said his client admitted to law enforcement that it was inappropriate and that he did not intend to disseminate it.
“The majority of Scott Jameson’s life suggests a strong desire and a demonstrated capacity to live as a law-abiding citizen,” Goldenberg wrote.
Jameson has the support of his family, who deplored the conduct, lives with his brother and takes care of his elderly parents, who are divorced, according to court filings.