Moberly Man Indicted on Federal Child Pornography Charges
| U.S. Attorney’s Office January 26, 2009 |
St. Louis, MO: Francis L. Berrey was indicted on federal charges of production and possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway announced today.
According to the indictment, between January 2007 and November 2008, Berrey videotaped a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Berrey, 34, Moberly, MO, was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday, January 22, on one felony count of production of child pornography and one felony count of possession of child pornography.
Berrey was arrested this morning by law enforcement agents and is expected to appear in federal court early this week.
Berrey has a prior conviction for Rape and Sexual Abuse. If Berrey is convicted, production of child pornography carries a penalty range of 25 to 50 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000; and possession of child pornography after such a prior conviction carries a range of ten to 20 years prison and/or fines up to $250,000.
These cases are 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 Kirksville Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department, the Randolph County Prosecuting Attorney; and Assistant United States Attorney Carrie Costantin, 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.