Palmer man sentenced to 25 years for attempted production of child pornography

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A Palmer man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison followed by a life term of supervised release for attempting to create child sexual abuse materials by hiding a cell phone in a bathroom at a local supermarket.

According to court documents, Jesse Damon, 35, hid a cell phone and an attached external battery pack behind a vent in the family bathroom at a supermarket in Palmer in an attempt to create child pornography. An employee discovered the phone after noticing that the vent cover was loose.

Supermarket employees opened the video recording application on the hidden cell phone and saw an individual, later identified as Damon, as he inadvertently recorded himself in the process of hiding the phone. Employees ensured the store surveillance cameras were recording the entrance of the family bathroom and notified law enforcement after the camera captured Damon attempting to recover the phone he had hidden.

Law enforcement responded and contacted Damon after his return to the supermarket. A search warrant was issued for Damon's electronic devices and law enforcement determined that he had secretly recorded a number of individuals, mostly adults, between May 21-24, 2022. Of the individuals captured in Damon's attempts to create child sexual exploitation material, two were children under the age of 12. The investigation also revealed that Damon had also received and distributed "commercial" images depicting child sexual abuse through the use of digital applications such as Kik, Dropbox and Mega Link.

At the time of his arrest in this case, Damon was on supervision following his prior conviction for possession of child pornography in 3:08-cr-00039-RRB-MMS.

During the sentencing, the court recognized the bravery and strength of the victims in this case, and highlighted the defendant's serious danger to the public through his recidivist actions.

"Mr. Damon is a repeat offender who presented an escalating danger to our community," said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. "I commend the vigilant supermarket employees whose swift actions played a crucial role in the successful investigation and prosecution led by the FBI and Palmer Police Department. My office remains unwavering in its commitment to protecting children in our community by working collaboratively to identify, investigate and prosecute those who seek to exploit vulnerable Alaskans."

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Palmer Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and Federal Probation Office, investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander prosecuted the case.

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 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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