JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The video attached to this story is from a previous, related report.
A St. Augustine man ensnared by a search of his electronic devices has been found guilty of producing, receiving, and possessing child sex abuse material. In 2019, the FBI searched Samuel Arthur Thompson's home after he was suspected of hacking the Jacksonville Jaguars' jumbotron and found child sex abuse materials on computers they seized.
He was also charged with producing child sex abuse materials while required to register as a sex offender, violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, sending unauthorized damaging commands to a protected computer and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Thompson was supposed to be registered as a sex offender because he was convicted of raping a 14-year-old boy.
He faces a mandatory minimum term of 35 years’ imprisonment. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 25, 2024.
Jumbotron tampering
Thompson previously worked as a contractor to help run and design the jumbotron for the Jaguars in 2013.
In 2018, the Jaguars decided not to renew his contract because they learned of his previous crimes, which he had not disclosed.
Before his contract ended, Thompson installed remote access which allowed him to access the jumbotron and cause it to malfunction. He used this access during three 2018 season NFL games.
The investigation into these crimes led to the discovery of the child sex abuse images stored on Thompson's electronics. Police determined that Thompson had created some of the materials.