A Shallotte resident, Scott Anthony Lewis, 65, has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for crimes involving child sexual abuse material. The sentencing took place in Wilmington, North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle commented on the case, stating: “These child predators hurt our children, causing lifelong damage to our communities. This case highlights the critical partnership between federal, state, and local agencies in protecting children. We will continue to work together to bring child sex offenders to justice and prevent further harm.”
The investigation was led by the Department of Homeland Security and the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office after a Cyber Tip from Dropbox was reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Dropbox identified that one of its users had uploaded illegal material. Authorities traced the IP address associated with this account back to Lewis.
Upon executing a search warrant at Lewis’ home, law enforcement seized digital devices containing child sexual abuse materials. Court records show that Lewis is a former U.S. Navy member who left service in 2018 and worked as a self-employed licensed electrician afterward. At the time of his arrest, he was already on supervised probation for incest and was out on bond related to that charge when some of the illegal images were downloaded.
Lewis is a previously registered sex offender who later pleaded guilty to the incest charge.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating online child exploitation and abuse by coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local agencies.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted this case.
The Justice Department serves as the main federal law enforcement agency in the United States with over 115,000 employees operating domestically and internationally according to its official website. Its mission includes upholding rule of law and safeguarding civil rights as detailed here. The department operates across all states and more than 50 countries according to its official profile.
More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at Justice.gov/PSC. Related court documents are available through the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or via PACER using case number 7:24-CR-100-M-BM.