Troy, Missouri Man Indicted on Federal Child Pornography Charges

St. Louis, MO: Donald M. Hutchings was indicted for possession and production of child pornography, United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway announced today.

Hutchings, 56, Troy, MO, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of production of child pornography and two felony counts of possession of child pornography.

If convicted, production of child pornography carries a penalty range of ten to 20 years in prison, each count of possession of child pornography carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, followed by supervised release for life.

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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Hanaway commended the work on the case by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, the Regional Computer Crimes Education and Enforcement Group , the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Assistant United States Attorney Rob Livergood, who is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations, and each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.