El Paso Standard

A Florida resident previously convicted of child-related offenses has received a 15-year federal prison sentence for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Nicholes Scott Newman, 42, from Hilliard, Florida, was sentenced on March 26 following an investigation by the Northeast Florida Interagency Child Exploitation and Peoples Trafficking Task Force, which included U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The sentence also mandates a 10-year term of supervised release following incarceration, along with a requirement for Newman to register as a sex offender.

“This predator’s prior conviction did not deter him from continuing to victimize children by distributing vile child sexual abuse material,” stated Tim Hemker, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Jacksonville. He further emphasized the commitment of HSI and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force to dismantle such networks and ensure community safety.

Court documents reveal that in June 2024, an undercover detective observed Newman distributing CSAM via a social media group chat. The detective engaged in direct communication with Newman, who provided more CSAM to the investigator.

Newman had a previous conviction in 2014 in Pinellas County for 20 counts of CSAM possession, leading to a sentence in Florida State Prison. His release occurred on February 6, 2019.

The Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force conducted the investigation with contributions from ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Jacksonville, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Cannizzaro prosecuted the case.