Man given 3 life sentences plus 700 years for child molestation, pornography

July 17--PANAMA CITY -- A man convicted of molesting a sleeping infant and possessing more than 100 videos of child voyuerism, child pornography and beastiality has been sentenced to spend several lifetimes behind bars.

Scott Ernest Allen, 35, appeared in court Tuesday to learn his fate in a sentence hearing. After being found guilty of more than 100 sex crimes at the end of a jury trial earlier this month, Circuit Judge Brantley Clark Jr. on Tuesday handed down the maximum sentence of three life sentences followed by almost 700 years in prison -- all to be served consecutively, court records stated.

Allen, of Chipley, was also deemed a sexual predator as part of his sentence. He display no emotional reaction Tuesday as he stood wearing the yellow jumpsuit of sex offenders and Clark read out the extensive prison term. Allen declined to address the court or any of his victims at the time.

Prosecutor Jennifer Hawkins told the court that the infant victim and the victim's mother were in the courtroom. However, they declined to speak during the sentencing.

At trial, prosecutors had several key pieces of evidence against Allen that arose from the pictures he'd taken of himself molesting the infant. Not only did investigators tie a tattoo on the hand of the perpetrator in the picture to Allen's tattoo on his hand, they also were able take a thumb print from the digital picture and match it to Allen's.

While admitting finger prints into evidence is nothing new, lifting latent prints off digital media has only recently become possible through advances in modern cameras. Allen's case was only the second in the 14th Judicial Circuit where a conviction was cinched with a digital thumb print, officials said.

It took jurors a little more than an hour after the July 3 trial ended to convict Allen of a combined 127 sex crimes, including a capital offense of sexual battery on a child under 12.

Allen has been in custody since September 2016 after a child reported that a man slid a cellphone under a dressing room at stall in an attempt to record her changing clothes. Officers later discovered a trove of disturbing videos on Allen's phone, including him sexually battering a sleeping 2-year-old child.

Security video from the Goodwill store, a good description of the vehicle and a fast food receipt left inside the changing room led officers to Allen. He was arrested in September and a search of his vehicle revealed several computer storage devices and computer discs, officials wrote.

With Allen wanted on video voyeurism charges, officers obtained a search warrant for the devices, on which officers reported they found images of child pornography and bestiality, as well as photos of Allen committing sexual battery on a child under the age of 12. Some of the recordings dated back more than a year, officers reported.

Allen initially was charged with video voyeurism, possession of child pornography and sexual battery on a child under the age of 12. LHPD then filed 116 counts of possession of photographs or videos that depict sexual performances by a child under the age of 12.

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