Andy Earl Crook Pleads Guilty to Child Porn, Sex Travel Scheme

Andy Earl Crook, 63, of Grain Valley, Mo., has pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography and traveling across state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor — a minor who didn’t exist. The man, already under federal scrutiny, admitted in U.S. District Court that he planned to have sex with a 14-year-old girl in North Dakota, only to be arrested upon arrival by waiting law enforcement. The ‘girl’ was an undercover officer.

Crook’s criminal trail began surfacing in February 2018 when FBI agents executed a search warrant at a Washington state residence linked to online child pornography distribution. Digital evidence pulled from devices tied Crook to the exchange of illicit images and videos across the internet. By April 5, 2018, Google flagged two separate uploads of suspected child pornography to its CyberTipline — both traced directly to Crook’s Google Photos account.

Using Kik Messenger, Crook engaged with an undercover FBI agent posing online, sending explicit child porn — including depictions of infants and toddlers — and engaging in predatory chat. A May 4, 2018, search of his Grain Valley home uncovered a disturbing trove: 190 images and 13 videos of child pornography, sexually explicit selfies of Crook himself, and more conversations steeped in child exploitation.

Even after being questioned by the FBI and losing access to his devices, Crook didn’t stop. By September 1, 2018, he had reached out to a different undercover officer — this one posing as a 14-year-old girl in North Dakota — through Facebook Messenger and Kik. The chats rapidly turned graphic, with Crook arranging to travel across state lines for sex. He rented a vehicle and drove over 800 miles to meet the ‘teen,’ bringing with him multiple sex toys.

He was arrested the moment he arrived for the scheduled meeting on September 22, 2018. Now facing the full weight of federal law, Crook pleaded guilty to three counts: distributing child pornography, possessing child pornography, and traveling to engage in illegal sexual conduct with a minor. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison — and up to 70 years — without parole.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna and investigated by the FBI as part of Project Safe Childhood, the DOJ’s nationwide initiative targeting child sexual exploitation. A sentencing hearing is pending, following a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. For more on the initiative, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.