Beaumont resident earns federal sentence for child porn possession

A Lufkin man has been sentenced to federal prison for federal child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston Jan. 7.

Colby Allen, 20, pleaded guilty on August 11, 2021, to distributing child pornography and was sentenced to 162 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield on Jan. 6.

According to information presented in court, on Feb. 20, 2020, an undercover law enforcement officer accessed an instant messaging chat group known to have users who posted images and videos of child pornography. The officer observed that a particular user posted two videos to the group, including a video depicting the sexual abuse of a minor. Further investigation revealed that the user of the messenger account was Allen. On Nov. 19, 2020, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at Allen’s residences in Lufkin and Beaumont. During the search of Allen’s Beaumont residence, officers seized his cellular telephone, which was later forensically imaged. A review of the forensic imaging revealed numerous video and image files depicting child pornography. The images and videos located on Allen’s phone included the two videos uploaded to the instant messaging group on Feb. 20, 2020. A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Allen with federal violations on Jan. 20, 2021.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.