After being identified as an internet distributor of illicit materials, a food service employee at Phoenix Children’s Hospital was detained on suspicion of child sex exploitation.
After being placed under arrest, Zackarie Parker Allbritton, 29, is charged with ten counts of sexually exploiting a juvenile.
The investigation that resulted in Allbritton’s arrest got underway more than a month ago. It started when the instant messaging platform Kik informed the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that one of its users had 23 files pertaining to child sexual assault. The NCMEC then informed the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children (AZICAC) and an investigation started.
Court records linked Allbritton to several online profiles, according to Arizona’s Family, and searches of his Kik account turned up over 40 files pertaining to child sexual abuse
Investigators also looked through Allbritton’s chat history; according to the records, he transmitted files to other users and had many talks involving child pornography. In several conversations, he allegedly spoke about his employment as well, claiming to be employed by a hospital’s food service department.
Additionally, investigators discovered that Allbritton works for Sodexo, a third-party food provider at Phoenix Children’s. Staff acknowledged that he worked in the building even though he was not a hospital employee.
He denied having improper contact with the children or taking pictures or films of them, but he did admit to authorities following his detention that he delivered meals to children’s hospital rooms as part of his employment with Sodexo, according to records.
He further said that he was afraid his girlfriend would “know about the dark underworld” and that’s why he “never saved the files to his phone.” Meanwhile, Allbritton’s job fate remains uncertain since Sodexo has confirmed that he “has been placed on unpaid administrative leave and faces termination, pending the investigation,” according to a statement issued by Sodexo Public Relations.
After contacting Arizona’s family, Sodexo Public Relations issued a statement stating that;
“The safety and security of Phoenix Children’s patients and staff is our top priority.”
Investigations into the case are still ongoing.
Even in settings as seemingly safe as a children’s hospital, worries about children’s safety and well-being are heightened by the unsettling nature of this case. The magnitude of the digital trail and the unethical trade serve as a sobering reminder of the diligence needed on the part of digital platforms, employers, and law enforcement to safeguard kids against such abuse.