Joplin Man Ernest W. Haney Gets 15 Years for Child Porn

Ernest W. Haney, a 51-year-old Joplin man, is headed to federal prison for 15 years without parole after being convicted of possessing and distributing child pornography over the Internet. The sentence, handed down today in Springfield, Mo., marks the end of a federal investigation into Haney’s use of peer-to-peer file-sharing networks to trade grotesque images and videos of child sexual abuse.

U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark imposed the stiff penalty after Haney pleaded guilty on Oct. 20, 2016, to charges of possession and distribution of child pornography. Court documents reveal Haney used file-sharing software to systematically download and disseminate illegal material, exposing countless victims to ongoing exploitation with a few keystrokes from his home computer.

Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, confirmed the sentencing and emphasized the severity of the crime. “Exploiting children for sexual content is a vile offense that rips apart lives and families,” Dickinson said. “This sentence sends a clear message: those who traffic in child pornography will face relentless pursuit and severe consequences.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher and investigated by a coalition of federal and local authorities, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crime Task Force. Digital forensics recovered hundreds of images and videos from Haney’s hard drives, many depicting children under the age of 12.

This prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat the rising tide of child sexual exploitation. The program integrates federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts to identify offenders, dismantle networks, and rescue victims. Since its inception, the project has led to thousands of arrests nationwide.

For more information on Project Safe Childhood and Internet safety resources, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Authorities continue to urge the public to report suspected child exploitation immediately through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s hotline.

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