Zimmerman Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography

Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, a 49-year-old Zimmerman man pleaded guilty to producing images of three teenage boys engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Scott James Whitcomb pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography. Whitcomb, who was indicted on January 19, 2011, entered his plea before United States District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson.

In his plea agreement, Whitcomb admitted that between 2007 and 2010, he produced videos containing images of the three boys, two of whom were between the ages of 12 and 16, while the third was younger than 12. In addition, Whitcomb admitted storing the images on digital cameras, memory sticks, and computers. According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, Whitcomb’s activity was discovered on August 4, 2010, while a Minneapolis police officer was conducting an online undercover operation in search of those who share child pornography through peer-to-peer Internet networks. The Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office subsequently executed a search warrant at Whitcomb’s residence, where they seized two computers containing images of the boys. Whitcomb was arrested on December 20, 2010, and charged in state court. Prior to posting bail, he was taken into federal custody.

Whitcomb is a former employee of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Whitcomb also served as a U.S. Air Marshal and prison guard.

For his crime, Whitcomb faces a potential maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison, with a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years. Judge Nelson will determine his sentence at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Minneapolis Police Department, an affiliate agency of the Minnesota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, as well as the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Cyber Crimes Task Force, which is sponsored by the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Steinkamp.

The U.S. Department of Justice is committed to combating the sexual exploitation of children, particularly via the Internet. For more information about these efforts, please visit the Department’s Project Safe Childhood website, at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.