Scot Letourneau Gets 16 Years for Child Porn, Fleeing Justice

Scot Letourneau, 44, is going away for 16 years after being sentenced in federal court in Boston for distributing and possessing child pornography — and then vanishing while under court supervision. The former resident of Quincy, Mass., and later Maine, pleaded guilty in November 2017 to one count of distribution, one count of possession, and a separate charge of failure to register as a sex offender. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper handed down the sentence, which includes five years of supervised release following prison time.

The crimes trace back to early 2015, when investigators uncovered a digital trail of child exploitation material traded via Kik Messenger between an individual in Connecticut and an account tied directly to Letourneau. A May 21, 2015, search of his home led to the seizure of a cellphone loaded with evidence. Forensic review exposed a sickening archive: at least 103 videos and over 500 images of children subjected to sexually explicit conduct. The material was not just stored — it was actively shared.

Letourneau wasn’t new to the justice system. A 2004 conviction in Cheshire County, N.H. Superior Court for distribution of child pornography already marked him as a registered sex offender. After his 2015 arrest, prosecutors pushed for detention, citing his history. But on August 5, 2015, he was released to home confinement in Maine, wearing an electronic bracelet. He violated that trust completely. On November 3, 2015, he cut the monitor and fled — disappearing into New Mexico under a false identity.

For two years, Letourneau lived as a fugitive, dodging registration requirements and federal warrants. He resurfaced in March 2017, arrested in Denver, Colorado, before being shipped back to Massachusetts to face justice. His time on the run didn’t just break court orders — it violated federal law. As a prior offender, Letourneau was legally required to register his whereabouts. By hiding in New Mexico under an alias, he committed a standalone federal crime: failure to register as a sex offender.

The sentencing reflected the gravity of his repeat offenses. Due to his 2004 conviction, the distribution charge carried a mandatory minimum of 15 years, with a maximum of 40. Possession demanded at least 10 years, up to 20. The registration failure added up to 10 more years. Each charge also brings a lifetime possibility of supervised release and fines up to $250,000. Judge Casper weighed the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors before landing on 16 years — a hard penalty, but one that underscores the federal crackdown on recidivist predators.

The takedown was a joint push led by U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling, U.S. Marshal John Gibbons, and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston. Support came from the U.S. Marshals Service in Colorado, the Adams County Sheriff’s Department, Connecticut State Police, Quincy Police, and even the U.S. Coast Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted. The case was part of Project Safe Childhood, the DOJ’s national initiative launched in 2006 to combat child exploitation through coordinated federal, state, and local action. More at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.