MIAMI – In a stunning turn of events, former U.S. Coast Guard member Blayne Schouest has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography.
The case was uncovered when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) was alerted via Snapchat on March 8, 2021, about a suspected image of child pornography uploaded using an account linked to Schouest, then stationed in Key West, Fla. A subsequent search warrant revealed seven videos containing child pornography on his cell phone.
Schouest faced one count of possessing child pornography and pleaded guilty on March 8. The prosecution was handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Ayer, with the investigation led by the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) Southeast Field Office in Key West.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Matthew Margelot announced the conviction. The Cyber Tip Line operated by NCMEC in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) played a crucial role in this case, encouraging citizens to report online child sexual exploitation at 1-800-843-5678.
For those seeking more information or updates on this case, the press release can be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information are available on the District Court for the Southern District of Florida’s website at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-10016.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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