Former Hamilton County deputy gets 25 years for exploiting children online

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A former Hamilton County Sheriff's Office corrections deputy will spend 25 years in federal prison for posing as a child online and manipulating children across the country into making sexually explicit videos.

Federal investigators say 27-year-old Johnathan Nathaniel Allen of Chattanooga exploited eight children in five states, some as young as sixth grade.

And he did it while working as a sheriff's deputy.

Allen posed online as a 14-year-old boy named "Josh," using Instagram, , TextMe and Roblox to find and communicate with children, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Investigators say Allen told children he loved them, called them beautiful and told them he was proud of them as he pressured them for sexual content.

One child rejected his requests eight times.

Prosecutors say Allen persisted, eventually getting the child on the phone through a virtual number and pressuring the child into producing child sexual abuse material.

Another child was crying while making sexual content because she didn't want to do it, according to prosecutors.

Allen then told her he was proud of her and directed her to delete the material so no one else would find it.

The investigation began after a South Carolina father found concerning messages on his 13-year-old daughter's phone and contacted police.

The York County Sheriff's Office and FBI traced the communications back to Allen.

Investigators eventually searched Allen's Chattanooga .

They found his phone containing and TextMe, the fake "Josh" identity and child sexual abuse material.

Agents also found communications with the South Carolina child and clothing in Allen's bedroom that matched clothing worn by "Josh" in explicit images sent to a minor.

One photograph "Josh" used on was actually a picture of Allen when he was younger, prosecutors say.

Investigators ultimately identified victims in South Carolina, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri and New York.

Allen had worked for the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office since 2021.

After his arrest, Sheriff Austin Garrett said he was "furious" and that Allen had been fired immediately .

Allen later pleaded guilty in federal court to producing child sexual abuse material.

"This defendant was sworn to serve and protect, instead he deceived and exploited," U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling said following the sentencing.

U.S. District Judge Sherri Lydon sentenced Allen to 25 years in prison followed by 15 years of court-ordered supervision.

There is no parole in the federal system.

Allen must also register as a sex offender and pay $3,000 in restitution to a victim and another $4,000 to a victim services fund.