A York County investigation has helped lead to a 25-year federal prison sentence for a former Tennessee sheriff’s deputy who used fake online identities to sexually exploit children.
Johnathan Nathaniel Allen, 27, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was sentenced Sept. 16 after being convicted of producing child sexual abuse material. He will serve 25 years in federal prison followed by 15 years of court-ordered supervision. He also was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution and $4,000 to a victim services fund and must register as a sex offender.
The investigation began after a South Carolina father discovered concerning text messages on his 13-year-old daughter’s phone and contacted law enforcement. Investigators with the York County Sheriff’s Office and FBI Columbia Field Office determined Allen had been posing online as a 14-year-old boy named “Josh.”
According to federal prosecutors, Allen used Instagram, Reddit, TextMe and Roblox to target and exploit minors. Investigators determined that eight children from South Carolina, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri and New York were victims. The children were as young as sixth grade.
A search of Allen’s home uncovered a phone containing communications connected to the fake identity and child sexual abuse material. Investigators also recovered evidence connecting Allen to the South Carolina victim.
Allen was a Tennessee sheriff’s deputy beginning in 2021. The case was investigated by the FBI, York County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations and the Hamilton County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office.
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