Man who worked as magician across New England pleads guilty to child pornography offenses

A man who has worked as a magician for more than 20 years in New England, “performing for children as young as kindergarten age,” pleaded guilty to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and transportation of child pornography, according to federal authorities.

Scott Jameson, 46, pleaded guilty to one count of illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and one count of  transportation of child pornography, according to federal authorities. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled his sentencing for March 7, 2024.

The case unfolded in 2022, when Action Pour Les Enfants, 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,” according to federal authorities.

Then, in September 2022, U.S. authorities were notified that Jameson, a dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, had traveled from Boston to Cambodia in August 2022, according to federal authorities. When he came back to Boston in Oct. 2022, Jameson was stopped at Logan Airport and a search of his belongings turned up a video “which he produced during his most recent trip to Cambodia,” and it depicted “the genitals of a young boy, 5-7 years old,” federal authorities said in a statement.

“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,” federal authorities said in the statement. “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 carries 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 statement said. The charge of transportation of child pornography carries 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, the statement said.

Anyone who has questions, concerns or information regarding the case should call 617-748-3274.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide program that works to combat the “epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse,” authorities said.