Linn County Man Indicted on Federal Child Pornography Charges

ST. LOUIS, MO—The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that David Russell Darr, Jr., was indicted on federal charges of production of child pornography. The indictment alleges that in October 2009, Darr videotaped himself and a minor child engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

DAVID RUSSELL DARR, Marceline, Missouri, was indicted by a federal grand jury April 15 on one felony count of production of child pornography. He is expected to appear in federal court today.

If convicted, production of child pornography carries a penalty range of 15 to 30 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.

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 http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated locally by the Marceline Police Department and the Kirksville Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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