Anthony Quin Hodges, 51, of Fulton, Mo., was sentenced to seven years and three months in federal prison without parole for receiving and distributing child pornography, marking the end of a sordid case that began with a lost cell phone and spiraled into a federal investigation.
Hodges pleaded guilty on May 9, 2017, admitting he had spent two to three years downloading, storing, and sharing graphic images of child pornography through his Google Photos account and using his cell phone to access and distribute illegal content. His actions came to light when two Fulton residents found the device abandoned in their driveway on January 17, 2017, and attempted to identify the owner by powering it on.
What they discovered was a digital trail of depravity: images of prepubescent children in sexually explicit poses. One resident opened the Facebook app and found a profile belonging to Hodges, leading them to contact the Fulton Police Department immediately. Investigators executed a search warrant and uncovered not only the stored images but also active links to child pornography websites.
The case took a darker turn when Hodges admitted to sending unsolicited images of child pornography to another individual. That recipient, interviewed by law enforcement, stated he received multiple messages containing explicit images of young girls—none of which he requested. He repeatedly told Hodges to stop, warning him the material was illegal, but the messages continued.
Adding to the timeline of Hodges’ downfall, law enforcement was already on his trail before the phone turned up. On October 24, 2016, the Boone County Cyber Crimes Taskforce received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, reporting that a Google account—later tied to Hodges—had uploaded child pornography to Google Photos. The discovery of the lost phone accelerated the investigation.
U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes handed down the sentence, emphasizing the severity of the crimes. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner and investigated by the FBI, the Boone County Cyber Crimes Taskforce, and the Fulton Police Department. It was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation.
Related Federal Cases
- Steven Robert Hill Sentenced for Child Pornography Possession · Iowa
- Jeffrey A. Hassenflug Indicted for Child Porn Crimes · Kansas
- Justin X. Carroll Indicted on Child Pornography Charges · Washington
- Joplin Man Indicted for Child Pornography Scheme · Missouri
- Joplin Man Indicted for Producing Child Pornography · Missouri
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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