Mill Creek Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography

A 56-year-old Mill Creek, Washington man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to production of child pornography. Phillip Steven Allen faces a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones on March 29, 2013.

According to records filed in the case, Allen came to the attention of law enforcement in 2010, when they served a search warrant on a residence in Bloomington, Indiana. The occupant of the home was being investigated for distribution of child pornography. Investigators determined that the Indiana resident has sent child pornography to an e-mail address in Mill Creek. Further investigation linked the address to Allen. In July 2011 agents served a search warrant at Allen’s address. A computer and two external hard drives were analyzed. Law enforcement found pornographic pictures on the devices of a young girl who is related to Allen.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The case was investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerrod C. Patterson. Mr. Patterson is the Project Safe Childhood coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office is Emily Langlie (206) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@usdoj.gov