Columbia Man Charged with Child Sexual Exploitation

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Columbia, Mo., man was charged in federal court today with child sexual exploitation.

Sergio Antonio Dominguez-Gonzalez, 23, of Columbia, was charged with the sexual exploitation of a minor in a federal criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo. Dominguez-Gonzalez, who remains in federal custody, will have an initial court appearance on Friday, Feb. 24, 2017.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, an undercover law enforcement officer posted numerous on-line bulletin messages on social media forums, which were intended to attract individuals with a sexual interest in children. On Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, the undercover officer received an e-mail message from Dominguez-Gonzalez.

During the course of their e-mail conversation and subsequent instant messenger chat, the affidavit says, Dominguez-Gonzalez sent the undercover officer images and videos of a prepubescent toddler, including pornographic images and videos. Dominguez-Gonzalez allegedly asked the undercover officer to send him nude pictures of his purported 9-year-old daughter.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Dominguez-Gonzalez’s residence on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017. Among the items seized were five cell phones, a desktop computer and a digital camera with an SD card.

Dickinson cautioned that the charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Turner. It was investigated by the FBI and the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."