A federal jury in Nashville has found Scott Michael Nelson, a 61-year-old resident of Ashland City, Tennessee, guilty of possessing child pornography featuring a prepubescent minor. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Thomas J. Jaworski.
The conviction followed evidence presented at trial, which highlighted a search conducted by the Tennessee Department of Corrections’ Probation Officers. On October 16, 2021, as part of Operation Blackout, probation officers searched Nelson’s cell phone during a routine home visit for registered sex offenders on probation before Halloween. During this search, a video containing child sexual abuse material was discovered on Nelson’s phone. Nelson confirmed ownership of the device.
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Following the discovery, the Metro Nashville Police Department was contacted, and the phone was seized. Authorities obtained a search warrant to further investigate the contents of the device. At the time of the incident, Nelson was on probation in Davidson County. This followed a 10-year sentence he served in Florida for child exploitation crimes in 2009. His probation was transferred to Tennessee when he relocated to Ashland City.
Nelson is scheduled for sentencing on March 27, 2025, where he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. The investigation was carried out by Homeland Security Investigations and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica R. Morrison and Katy Risinger.
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Texas Woman Sentenced in Murder-for-Hire Plot
Ashley Grayson, a Dallas woman, has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for orchestrating a murder-for-hire scheme targeting a Southaven woman and two others. Grayson’s plan originated from an online business dispute, leading her to propose a $20,000 contract per murder to a couple from Memphis. The couple faked an attempt and extorted $10,000 from Grayson. Grayson was later convicted, while her husband was acquitted. The case highlights the potential for online conflicts to escalate into real-world violence, though no physical harm resulted from the plot.