Poughkeepsie Predator Gets 15-Year Sentence for Child Grooming and Porn Possession

GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE: Aaron W. Scott, 28, a resident of Poughkeepsie, New York, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for attempting to entice an 11-year-old girl into sexual acts and for possessing child pornography.

The grim announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albany Field Office. Scott’s guilty plea revealed a chilling scheme from April to June 2022, where he sent explicit messages to a girl he believed to be 11 years old, with intent to coerce her into engaging in sexual acts.

The audacity did not stop there. On June 14, 2022, Scott traveled to Warren County with the sinister purpose of meeting his intended victim, but was nabbed by law enforcement moments after arrival. Child pornography was discovered on him at the time of arrest.

Judge Anne M. Nardacci handed down a 25-year term of supervised release post-prison and ordered $3,000 in restitution to a victim. Scott’s devices used for his predatory acts were forfeited, and he will register as a sex offender upon release.

This case was a joint effort by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, including agents from New York State Police, Colonie Police Department, and Cary (North Carolina) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen J. Vickey prosecuted it under Project Safe Childhood, a justice department initiative aimed at stopping online child exploitation.

Project Safe Childhood, launched in 2006, leverages federal, state, and local resources to combat internet predators and rescue victims. For more on this vital program, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.