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20-Year Sentence for New Hampshire Man in NJ Child Exploitation Case
Federal Court Convicts Man for Child Sexual Abuse in New Jersey, Project Safe Childhood Leads Investigation.
MORRISTOWN, NJ – Scott Wilkinson, a 39-year-old man from Concord, New Hampshire, faced the full force of the law today as he was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. His conviction, related to child exploitation offenses occurring in New Jersey and possession of child sexual abuse material, marks a significant legal outcome in the fight against child exploitation.
U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger and U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announced the sentence, which was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante in New Hampshire. Wilkinson had previously admitted guilt to one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material.
The case's details are harrowing. Wilkinson traveled from New Hampshire to New Jersey in April 2022 to engage in sexual acts with a 12-year-old child. This meeting was the culmination of about a year’s correspondence with the minor online. Evidence, including a video of Wilkinson engaging in sexual acts with the child and other child sexual abuse material, was discovered on his cell phone.
In addition to his prison sentence, Wilkinson is subjected to 10 years of supervised release post-incarceration. This sentencing highlights the collaborative efforts of the FBI's Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, led by Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, and the Egg Harbor Township Police Department. Assistance from the Concord Police Department was also instrumental in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Harteis of the District of New Jersey and Kasey Weiland of the District of New Hampshire represented the government in this case.
This conviction is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. The project aims to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute offenders, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information on Project Safe Childhood, visit their website.
