A convicted child molester, Samuel Arthur Thompson, has been sentenced to 220 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material and hacking the jumbotron at the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium after the team learned he was a registered sex offender and fired him. Thompson was found guilty of multiple charges related to producing, receiving, and possessing sexual images of children, violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and other offenses. He was arrested in early 2020 after being deported from the Philippines back to the U.S.
Thompson, a registered sex offender who had previously been convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy in Alabama in 1998, was hired by the Jaguars as a contractor in 2013. He was responsible for consulting on the design and installation of the team’s new video board network and operating the jumbotron on gamedays. However, the Jaguars decided not to renew his contract in 2018 after finding out about his criminal history and sex offender status. Before his contract ended, Thompson installed remote access software on a server in the Jaguars’ server room, allowing him to hack the jumbotron during three games in the 2018 season.
When the team discovered the unauthorized access to the jumbotron and removed it, they collected network information about the intruder, which the FBI traced back to Thompson’s home. Following this lead, the FBI executed a search warrant at Thompson’s residence in July 2019 and seized electronic devices that had been used to access the server, as well as a firearm that he was prohibited from possessing as a convicted felon. Additionally, thousands of images and hundreds of videos of child sexual abuse were found on the devices, including material that Thompson had produced himself.
Thompson’s arrest and conviction led the Jaguars to release a statement thanking federal prosecutors for their work on the case. The team expressed gratitude for bringing Thompson to justice and stopping his criminal activities. In addition to his prison sentence, Thompson will also be subject to further legal consequences for his actions. The case highlights the importance of protecting children from sexual predators and holding individuals accountable for exploiting and harming vulnerable populations.
The investigation into Thompson’s criminal activities involved collaboration between law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The case serves as a reminder of the dangers of online exploitation and the importance of monitoring and reporting suspicious behavior related to child sexual abuse material. By working together to identify and prosecute individuals like Thompson, authorities can prevent further harm to children and ensure that offenders are held accountable for their crimes. The severity of Thompson’s sentence reflects the serious nature of his offenses and sends a strong message to others who may be involved in similar criminal activities.
