Chester County – home to the historic Colonial theater, Valley Forge National Park, and sex trafficking. Yes, sex trafficking.
Yesterday the Chester County District Attorney’s Office and Willistown Township Police Department announced the arrest of two men, Lawrence Jamieson, Jr. of Chester County and John Brown of Montgomery County, on charges of sex trafficking, child pornography, and sexual assault.
Police obtained a search warrant for Jamieson’s home after receiving a report of child sexual abuse on August 1. They found over 1,000 DVDs and over 50,000 images of pornography on electronic storage devices in the home. In a statement Willistown Police Chief John Narcise remarked, “I have never seen as large a trove of child pornography in the history of Chester County.”
One of the images recovered revealed the name of a victim and a local high school. Consequently, police were able to interview the victim and examine additional evidence, which led them to uncover Brown’s involvement and truly ascertain the “the full scope” of the crimes. According to police, Jamieson and Brown were both engaging in sexual activity with the victim, documenting the abuse, and exchanging the photos and videos.
Chester County District Attorney Hogan commented on the case, noting that it “shows the full developmental cycle of child predators,” from possession of child pornography to creation and distribution of child pornography, and devastatingly, to sexual assault, commercial sexual exploitation, and trafficking of children. “Each act is a link in the chain of misery that is child sexual abuse,” he said.
The CSE Institute is grateful to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office and Willistown Township Police Department for uncovering the suspects and charging them appropriately based on the evidence. These crimes confirm District Attorney Hogan’s sentiment that “evil exists, even in places we least expect it.” Even in our own community.
To provide more information, please contact Willistown Detective Steve Jones at (610) 251-0222.