Lufkin man sentenced to 13 years for possessing child pornography, uploading to IM chats

LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - A Lufkin man has been sentenced to federal prison for federal child pornography violations.

Colby Allen, 20, pleaded guilty on August 11, 2021, to distributing child pornography and was sentenced to 13 and a half years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield on Jan. 6, 2022.

According to information presented in court, on Feb. 20, 2020, an undercover law enforcement officer accessed an instant messaging chat group known to have users who posted images and videos of child pornography. The officer noticed that a particular user posted two videos to the group, including a video depicting the sexual abuse of a minor.

Investigators found that the user of the messenger account was Allen. On Nov. 19, 2020, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at Allen’s residences in Lufkin and Beaumont. During the search of Allen’s Beaumont residence, officers seized his cell phone, which was later forensically imaged. A review of the forensic imaging revealed numerous video and image files depicting child pornography. The images and videos located on Allen’s phone included the two videos uploaded to the instant messaging group on Feb. 20, 2020.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Allen with federal violations on Jan. 20, 2021.

The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.