United States v. Keith Atherton

I. Factual and Procedural Background

In July 2018, a federal agent discovered that Atherton was sharing and distributing child pornography and child exploitation material on a video conferencing platform. The content included sexually explicit images and videos of Atherton and a male toddler, referred to throughout the proceedings as “Male Victim 1” or “MV1.” Pursuant to a warrant, investigators seized Atherton’s electronic devices, including his computer. A forensic analysis of Atherton’s devices revealed thousands of videos and more than 10,000 images depicting child sexual exploitation, as well as a guide on how to groom and sexually abuse children. Law enforcement agents also

USA V. ATHERTON

recovered sexually exploitative images and videos Atherton had produced of MV1, and videos in which Atherton expressed his desire to sexually abuse the child. Atherton’s chat history contained messages describing the abuse he had inflicted on MV1. MV1’s parents were Atherton’s long-time friends. Atherton moved in with the family when he needed a place to live. Occasionally, he babysat the child, who was three at the time. Atherton used methamphetamine on a…