PHOENIX — A worker at Phoenix Children's hospital through Sodexo is behind bars after allegedly distributing files online showing sexual abuse involving minors.
In May, an online messaging service reportedly alerted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about material showing inappropriate content involving minors being distributed by one of its members.
That information was then given to Arizona officials for investigation, police documents show. The profile was tracked to other social media accounts connected to a man named Zackarie Allbritton.
According to police, Allbritton had posted videos on one of his social media profiles showing that he works at Phoenix Children’s hospital. Officials confirmed that he works in food service at the hospital and delivers meals to patients.
An official with Sodexo, a food services and facilities management company, tells ABC15 they are cooperating with the Phoenix Police Department and as of July 1, the suspect "has been placed on unpaid administrative leave and faces termination, pending the investigation."
Investigators found dozens of files identified as child sexual abuse material and his online account engaged in conversations about child sexual abuse material, paperwork shows.
Allbritton admitted to using the messaging app while at work but denied sending the illegal material on the job because “his job is too busy.” He denied ever making sexual contact or taking photos or videos of children there.
He also reportedly told officials that he knew the messaging site deleted his account because of the material and said they had deleted his old accounts for the same reason.
Allbritton was booked into jail on multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
