Saint Louis Park Lawyer Found Guilty Of Distributing Child Pornography

Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker today announced the conviction of IAN SCOT LAURIE, 49, for distribution of child pornography. Following a four-day trial before Senior Judge David S. Doty in Minneapolis, Minn., the jury found LAURIE guilty on all counts. A sentencing hearing is yet to be scheduled.

“The sexual exploitation of children via the Internet is a heinous crime. Thanks to the nationwide coordination and painstaking efforts of the FBI investigators, this defendant has been brought to justice,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Buzicky.

As proven at trial, LAURIE, an attorney in private practice, used a peer-to-peer file-sharing platform known as GigaTribe to share and receive child pornography. In the fall of 2014, undercover law enforcement agents conducted an investigation of a GigaTribe user named “Arlobingo,” who was sharing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. During the course of their investigation, law enforcement agents were able to identify LAURIE as Arlobingo and determined that LAURIE had used a computer at his St. Louis Park law firm as well as a computer in his Maple Grove apartment to share child pornography on GigaTribe. Law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at LAURIE’S residence and recovered a computer containing evidence of child pornography as well as numerous chats between Arlobingo and other GigaTribe users regarding his sexual interest in children.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katharine T. Buzicky and Bradley M. Endicott are prosecuting the case.

Defendant Information:

IAN SCOT LAURIE, 49

Maple Grove, Minn.

Convicted:

• Distribution of child pornography, 5 counts

###

Additional news available on our website.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600