Hernando, MS – Memphis native Antonio Alston, Jr., 21, was convicted today on child pornography charges by District Attorney Matthew Barton and Assistant District Attorney Rosharwin Williams. The conviction was secured before the trial officially began, during jury selection, demonstrating the effectiveness of the prosecution’s case.
District Attorney Barton and Assistant District Attorney Williams successfully presented compelling evidence and testimony at the onset of the sentencing phase. The prosecution established that Alston was in possession of four files containing sexually explicit images depicting minors, some as young as 7 years old. These images were found to have been sold on Reddit through Cashapp by Alston.
The investigation began when the Hernando Police Department received a cyber tip in 2023 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), who provides crucial services to combat child abduction and sexual exploitation across the nation. In total, 67 cyber tips were eventually discovered to be connected to an IP Address associated with Alston, Jr.
“Pedophilia and the individuals who commit such heinous acts are intolerable, and my office is committed to prosecuting these crimes to the fullest extent of the law,” said District Attorney Matthew Barton. “It is regrettable that Memphis failed to indict this predator, but our officers and prosecutors stepped in and ensured that he is no longer a member of society.”
Alston had previously been investigated by the Memphis Police Department for similar offenses but was not prosecuted or arrested.
Circuit Court Judge Gerald Chatham, Sr. has scheduled sentencing for Alston for tomorrow, August 21st, at 8:15 am.
