⏱ 2 min read
Brian Lee Cox, a 39-year-old from Stockton, Missouri, has been sentenced to 230 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography over the internet. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough. Cox pleaded guilty to the charges on October 22, 2025, after authorities were alerted to his activities by a National Center for Missing and Exploitive Children (NCMEC) Cyber Tip.
Cox used the Kik messenger app to trade child sexual abuse material with other individuals. The app’s focus on user privacy did not prevent law enforcement from tracking his activities. The Southwest Cybercrimes Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations worked together to investigate the case.
The sentence includes a 10-year term of supervised release, and Cox will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. He will also be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply for the rest of his life.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project aims to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Sex Crimes
- Defendant: Missouri
- Location: MO
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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