Photo: Antonio Alston Jr. (DeSoto County Jail photo)
Aug 20, 2024– Memphis native Antonio Alston, Jr., 21, was convicted today on child pornography charges by District Attorney Matthew Barton and Assistant District Attorney Rosharwin Williams.
In a news release announcing the conviction, the District Attorney’s office said the conviction was secured during jury selection, demonstrating the effectiveness of the prosecution’s case.
Barton and Williams were able to present compelling evidence and testimony at the onset of the sentencing phase. The prosecution established that Alston was in possession of four files containing sexually explicit images depicting minors, some as young as seven years old. These images were found to have been sold on Reddit through Cashapp by Alston.
The investigation began when the Hernando Police Department received a cyber tip in 2023 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The NCMEC provides crucial services to combat child abduction and sexual exploitation across the nation.
In total, 67 cyber tips were eventually discovered to be connected to an IP address associated with Alston, Jr.
“Pedophilia and the individuals who commit such heinous acts are intolerable, and my office is committed to prosecuting these crimes to the fullest extent of the law,” said Barton. “It is regrettable that Memphis failed to indict this predator, but our officers and prosecutors stepped in and ensured that he is no longer a member of society.”
Alston had previously been investigated by the Memphis Police Department for similar offenses but was not prosecuted or arrested.
Circuit Court Judge Gerald Chatham, Sr. has scheduled sentencing for Alston for Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 8:15 am.
