Daren Watts, Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Missouri 2020

A Springfield man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in the sexual exploitation of a 15-year-old victim.

Daren Watts, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Watts will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

According to court documents, the investigation began on June 28, 2018, when Springfield police officers responded to the sexual assault of a 15-year-old victim, whose mother had identified Watts to a Children’s Division caseworker. Both the victim and Watts admitted to juvenile authorities that they had engaged in sexual intercourse.

Law enforcement received a Cybertipline Report from Facebook, reporting that Watts had sent messages to the victim soliciting nude photographs. When investigators searched the contents of his Facebook account, they found 20 videos of Watts engaged in sexual acts with the victim. There were also multiple messages exchanged between Watts and the victim discussing their sexual encounters.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the FBI.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.

The victim in this case was just 15 years old when Watts began sexually exploiting them. Watts will now spend 20 years in federal prison for his crimes.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/springfield-man-sentenced-20-years-sexual-exploitation-child-0