McPherson County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

WICHITA, KS—A man from McPherson County has pleaded guilty to using a 9-year-old girl to produce child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Philip Andra Grigsby, 50, Marquette, Kansas, pleaded guilty as charged to eight counts of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction.

Grigsby initially was charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Wichita. The complaint alleged the investigation began in Australia earlier this year when an Australian man was arrested by police in that country. Evidence in that case showed the man had received child pornography over the Internet from other men, including Grigsby in Kansas.

Investigators found e-mail messages sent by Grigsby to the Austalian, including attachments with images of child pornography. The name of a middle school was visible on a certificate in one of the photos, which helped investigators identify the location and identity of the victim. Investigators obtained other evidence when they served search warrants at Grigsby’s home. Forensic analysis of the digital media revealed more than 400 images and five movies showing the sexual exploitation of the minor victim, as well as other images of child pornography.

Sentencing is set for February 4. He faces a penalty of not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count of sexual exploitation of a child; a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the possession charge; and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge. Grissom commended the FBI; the Australian Federal Police; the Marquette Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.