UPDATE: Co-manager of Champaign’s ‘The Beat’ program faces child pornography charges

Dante Scott
Mugshot of Dante Scott after September 9, 2024 arrest.

Updated Tuesday at 6:15 p.m.

A Champaign DJ with ties to live music and education programs around the city has been arrested for selling child pornography.

In a press release on Tuesday, the Illinois State Police said it arrested Dante Joseph Scott, 28, for multiple child pornography charges. Officers then searched his home in Champaign.

On Tuesday afternoon, Scott pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. He faces eight Class X Child Pornography charges. According to the Illinois General Assembly, a Class X charge could result in decades in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000.

As of Tuesday evening, Scott remains in the Champaign County Jail.  His detention hearing is scheduled for September 12.

Scott’s Community Ties

Scott is an entertainment producer known ‘DJ Slim.’ This summer, he helped manage The Beat Champaign, a series of live music programs in downtown Champaign. According to his LinkedIn page, Scott was formerly employed at the Champaign Public Library.

On Tuesday morning, Jeff Hamilton, communications manager for the city of Champaign emailed IPM with the following: 

“The City can confirm that Dante Scott served as a contracted vendor to provide entertainment services to the City this summer, and was a former employee of the Champaign Public Library. As this is an open investigation by the Illinois State Police, the City will not comment on this matter further.”
 
Prior to the arrest, Scott was a guest on IPM’s ‘Dialogue’ show that aired September 7 on Illinois Soul FM 101.1. The interview about The Beat Champaign was recorded weeks ago. Rebroadcasts that were to air September 10 and 11 have been removed from the schedule.

Scott is also a mentor at STEAM Genius. The program brings recreational programs involving science, technology, engineering and math lessons to under-resourced neighborhoods throughout Central Illinois. 

STEAM Genius Board Chair Austin Curry issued the following statement to IPM:

“We are shocked and saddened by the events today regarding Dante Scott. Due to the nature of the charge, he has been placed on indefinite leave.”

 

Editor’s Note: Scott was a member of the Community Advisory Board for the creation of the Illinois Soul FM 101.1 at Illinois Public Media. It is a non-governing body and he was a volunteer. This story was updated on Tuesday morning to include a statement from the city of Champaign and Tuesday afternoon to include information from Illinois State Police.

Reginald Hardwick

Reginald Hardwick is the News & Public Affairs Director at Illinois Public Media. He oversees daily newscasts and online stories. He also manages The 21st Show, a live, weekday talk show that airs on 7 NPR stations throughout Illinois. He is the executive producer of IPM's annual environmental TV special "State of Change." And he is the co-creator of Illinois Soul, IPM's Black-focused audio service that launched in February 2024. Before arriving at IPM in 2019, he served as News Director at WKAR in East Lansing and spent 17 years as a TV news producer and manager at KXAS, the NBC-owned station in Dallas/Fort Worth. Reginald is the recipient of three Edward R. Murrow regional awards, seven regional Emmy awards, and multiple honors from the National Association of Black Journalists. Born in Vietnam, Reginald grew up in Colorado and is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado. Email: rh14@illinois.edu Twitter: @RNewsWILL