S. Lane Tucker, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office District of Alaska
A Texas man has been arrested on charges related to the alleged possession of child pornography while he was working temporarily as a school bus driver in Fairbanks, Alaska. According to court documents, the Fairbanks Police Department (FPD) received information in December 2024 about a USB drive found at a Fairbanks hotel that allegedly contained child sexual abuse materials.
The FPD handed over the USB drive to the FBI Anchorage Field Office for forensic review. On January 30, 2025, federal agents successfully extracted data from the USB drive and linked it to Scott O’Toole, 60, from Joshua, Texas. The investigation revealed images depicting child sexual abuse on the drive. Within 24 hours of reviewing the USB drive, law enforcement identified and located O’Toole in Texas and arrested him shortly thereafter.
Further allegations indicate that O’Toole was on Temporary Duty Assignment (TDY) as a school bus driver in Fairbanks between November and December 2024 and stayed at the hotel where the USB drive was discovered. He returned to Texas shortly after.
O’Toole is charged with one count of possession of child pornography in Alaska's District Court. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will decide his sentence considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The announcement came from First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Vogel of Alaska's District and Special Agent Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office.
The case is under investigation by the FBI Anchorage Field Office with assistance from FPD and Texas State Troopers. Anyone with information regarding O'Toole’s actions in Alaska is urged to contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office or provide tips anonymously online.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander is prosecuting this case with support from colleagues in Eastern District of Texas.
This case forms part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through collaboration among federal, state, and local resources.
It should be noted that a criminal complaint is an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
