Scott West, Child Sex Exploitation, Illinois 2025

A British man, Scott West, 40, of Manchester, United Kingdom, was sentenced on June 23, 2025 to 42 years in prison following his convictions for three counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

West and another co-conspirator created an account on a popular social media platform in which the two men pretended to be a young woman. Both men used the account to reach out to young boys to solicit sexually explicit photos. Multiple minors contacted by West were in the Central District of Illinois. When a victim responded by sending sexually explicit photos to the account, West would solicit more photos, threatening to expose the victim if he did not comply.

West was also found to have independently met children online and engaged in similar behavior, knowingly soliciting sexually explicit photos from underage boys in multiple different countries.

West was indicted in December 2022 and a request was made to the government of the United Kingdom for his extradition in June 2023. He was extradited to the United States in October 2024 by the United States Marshals Service and remained in their custody after United States Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley ordered his detention.

West pleaded guilty in January 2025.

The statutory penalties for sexual exploitation of a child include not less than 15 years and up to 30 years’ imprisonment per count, to be followed by not less than 5 years and up to a life term of supervised release on each count. Judge Darrow further ordered that West serve a ten-year term of supervised release.

“West manipulated and preyed upon children on two continents in his quest to fulfill his own sexual desires,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Seberger. “This extradition and sentence ensured that his American victims received justice in the United States for his crimes. We will continue to work with law enforcement across the globe to bring justice to victims of abuse.”

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from the United Kingdom. The United States Secret Service and the Greater Manchester Police Online Child Abuse Investigation Team in England investigated the case, with assistance from the Illinois State Police and several local Illinois police departments and sheriffs’ offices: the Geneseo Police Department, the Colona Police Department, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, the Kewanee Police Department, and the Moline Police Department. Significant assistance was also provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seberger represented the government in the prosecution.”

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