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by JENN WOOD
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A former Tennessee sheriff’s deputy was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after posing as a teenage boy online and coercing eight children across the country into producing child sexual abuse material, according to federal prosecutors.
Johnathan Nathaniel Allen, 27, of Chattanooga, used the name “Josh” on social media and messaging accounts while working as a sheriff’s deputy, a position he had held since 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina said.
The investigation began in York County, South Carolina, when a father discovered troubling messages on his 13-year-old daughter’s phone and contacted police. The York County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) traced the accounts to Allen, prosecutors said.
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Investigators found that Allen used Instagram, Reddit, TextMe and the gaming platform Roblox to contact children. Posing as a 14-year-old boy, he gained their trust, pressured them to make sexually explicit videos and, in one case, threatened to share a child’s intimate images if she stopped communicating with him.
Prosecutors described a pattern of manipulation. Allen told children he loved them and was proud of them, while continuing to demand sexual content even after one child refused him eight times. His confirmed victims lived in South Carolina, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri and New York.
Some were as young as sixth grade.
A search of Allen’s home turned up his phone, which contained the “Josh” accounts, communications with the South Carolina child and child sexual abuse material, according to the release. Investigators also found clothing they said appeared in images “Josh” had sent to a minor.
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Former Tennessee Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material@FBIColumbia and York County Sheriff's Office investigated with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Hamilton County, TN Sheriff’s Office.… pic.twitter.com/8iUXOaKuV4
— U.S. Attorney SC (@USAO_SC) September 16, 2026
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“This defendant was sworn to serve and protect, instead he deceived and exploited,” U.S. attorney Bryan Stirling said.
U.S. District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Allen to 25 years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to a victim and $4,000 to a victim services fund. He will be required to register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
The FBI and York County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Hamilton County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.
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