David Lee Nelson, Child Pornography, Missouri 2021

A former Boy Scout volunteer has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in hiding cameras in bathrooms at a scout camp in Missouri.

The defendant, David Lee Nelson, 41, of Redmond, Washington, was found to have hidden two cameras in paper towel dispensers at the S Bar F Scout Ranch in St. Francois County in July of 2021. The cameras were positioned to capture a shower stall and other portions of the bathroom.

Nelson was a volunteer at the camp at the time of the incident and was supposed to be protecting the scouts. However, he instead used his position of trust to hide the cameras and produce child pornography. He was charged with two counts of production of child pornography and two counts of attempted production of child pornography.

On Thursday, Nelson was sentenced to 22 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel. He was also ordered to pay $55,000 in special assessments that will go to a fund for victims and prevention programs, as well as $6,810 to pay for counseling for the victims in this case.

After his release from prison, Nelson will be on supervised release for life, with special conditions that include a prohibition against any contact with minors without permission.

The investigation into the case was led by the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Drake prosecuting the case as part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative.

This case is a prime example of how those in positions of trust can betray that trust and commit heinous crimes. The victims and their parents spoke out at the hearing, saying that Nelson’s actions have left them unable to trust others and have caused them fear and discomfort every time they try to use a public bathroom.

Nelson pleaded guilty to the charges in January and will now face the consequences of his actions. The sentence handed down by the judge is a result of the gravity of the crimes committed by Nelson.

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