SPRINGFIELD, MO—Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that three Missouri men pleaded guilty in federal court today, in separate and unrelated cases, to charges involving child pornography.

USA v. Allison

Larry Allison, 50, of Weaubleau, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to using a minor to produce child pornography.

By pleading guilty, Allison admitted that he used a minor, identified in the federal indictment as “Jane Doe,” to produce child pornography in January 2014.

Under federal statutes, Allison is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000 and an order of restitution to his victim. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Hickory County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the FBI.

USA v. Kern

Paul D. Kern, 22, of Republic, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to possessing child pornography.

According to today’s plea agreement, Kern contacted the Republic, Mo., Police Department on Nov. 1, 2012, to report that he had just received a warning pop-up on his computer ostensibly generated by the FBI while he was visiting a Web site featuring child pornography. He brought his computer to the police station and investigators conducted a forensic preview of the computer that located several images of child pornography.

Kern’s computer contained 55 images and five videos of child pornography. Kern admitted that he had been viewing child pornography for over six months.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government will not seek a sentence greater than five years in federal prison without parole; Kern will not seek a sentence less than two years in federal prison without parole. Kern is also subject to a fine up to $250,000 and an order of restitution to his victims. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Republic, Mo., Police Department.

USA v. May

Christopher May, 29, of Fair Grove, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet between Nov. 29, 2012, and March 26, 2013.

Under federal statutes, May is subject to a mandatory sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Nixa, Mo., Police Department, the Fair Grove, Mo., Police Department, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

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.”