Former Navy Mechanic Sentenced For Child Pornography Crimes: Feds

GROTON, CT — A U.S. Navy mechanic has been sentenced to 210 years in prison for sexually assaulting seven young girls and producing child pornography, according to a statement from federal prosecutors. Randall Tilton, 32, was initially charged by Town of Groton police in 2019 when he admitted that he sexually assaulted several juvenile victims and recorded some of these assaults.

When he was arrested, Tilton was employed as a forward auxiliary mechanic in the U.S. Navy and was residing in Groton.

Investigators said that examination of a laptop, tablet, cellphone and two flash drives seized from Tilton revealed that beginning in 2014, Tilton sexually assaulted seven girls who were between the ages of 4 months and 8 years old. Tilton photographed and video recorded many of these sexual assaults, prosecutors said in a statement. Some of the images depict a minor victim bound and restrained while Tilton sexually assaulted her.

Tilton distributed some of the images and videos of these sexual assaults on the dark web through the Tor network.

Tilton's electronic devices also included thousands of images and videos of the sexual abuse of other minors, including sadomasochistic images of minors in bondage, sexual assaults on infants, and sexual acts on the corpse of a minor, according to prosecutors.

The investigation revealed that Tilton sexually assaulted children in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and California.

Tilton has been detained since his arrest. He pleaded guilty to seven counts of production of child pornography.

"Tilton systematically and repeatedly preyed upon young children for his own sexual pleasure," Acting U.S. Attorney Leonard C Boyle said in a statement. "And since some of videos of his sexual abuse of one child will likely exist forever on the internet, he has ensured that she will continue to be victimized, every time those images are viewed by others, for the rest of her life. I commend the FBI, NCIS and Groton Town Police Department investigators for helping to ensure justice for these children and their families, and I thank the New London State’s Attorney’s Office for its close cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Their combined effort, and this severe sentence, will undoubtedly protect children from future harm."

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.