Missouri Man Admits Recording Sexual Abuse of Toddler

ST. LOUIS – A man from Jefferson County, Missouri has admitted recording the sexual abuse of a toddler.

Kyle J. Gipson, 22, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday to one felony count of production of child pornography.

In March of 2023, an undercover FBI agent in an online group on the social media platform Wickr that was dedicated to discussing and trading original images of child sexual abuse learned of Gipson. The agent and Gipson began communicating on Wickr and later moved to the social media platform Telegram. Gipson sent the agent a picture of a 2-year-old girl and said he had sexually abused her, his plea agreement says. He also sent a nude picture and offered to provide access so the girl could be sexually abused, his plea says.

After a court-approved search of Gipson’s home on March 13, investigators found child sexual abuse material involving that toddler and others. They also found communications in which Gipson discussed his sexual abuse of the victim with six others on social media. Gipson was also monitor and gatekeeper for a social media group focused on child sexual abuse material, bestiality and rape.

The production of child pornography charge carries a penalty of at least 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years. The U.S. Attorney’s office will ask for the maximum penalty at Gipson’s sentencing, scheduled for March 6, 2024. 

The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department Special Investigations Unit investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case. 

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