Missouri Man Sentenced to 88 Months in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced an Iron County, Missouri man to 88 months in prison for the possession of over 900 images containing child pornography.

Judge Limbaugh also ordered Timon Odell Mouser, 54, to be placed on supervised release for life after his release from prison. 

In July of 2022, the FBI was assisting the Phelps County Sheriff's Department with a cyber tip received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about an IP address used to trade child sexual abuse material. They traced it to Mouser’s home, and a search of his computer found over 900 images containing child pornography, including images of infants and toddlers and other prepubescent minor children.

Mouser pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in August to one count of possession of child pornography.

The FBI and the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted 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.