Related Federal Cases
- Vallejo Predator Jailed for 24 Years Over Child Sex Exploitation · Missouri
- Springfield Tutor Sparapani Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation · Missouri
- Springfield Sex Offender Joshua Wood Gets 15 Years for Child Porn · Missouri
- Springfield Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years for Child Pornography Ring · Missouri
- KC Predator: Muhammad Gets 210 Months for Child Porn · Kansas
30 Years for Springfield Child Predator
A Springfield man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexually exploiting a child and distributing child pornography over the Internet.
Anthony Cotter, 30, pleaded guilty to the sexual exploitation of children in federal court on June 18, 2018. By pleading guilty, Cotter admitted to receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet and having a substantial amount of child pornography on his computer and cell phone.
According to court documents, Cotter had been sexually abusing a minor female, identified as Jane Doe #1, and taking sexually explicit photographs of her. Depictions of Cotter sexually abusing the child victim were recovered from his digital storage devices.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
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.
Cotter’s sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. The guilty plea comes as a relief to the community and highlights the importance of the work being done by law enforcement agencies to protect children from exploitation.
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Sex CrimesSex CrimesSex CrimesSex Crimes