A 21-year-old Joplin man is facing federal charges for using a minor to produce child pornography in a sordid case that began with a motel room encounter and ended in a digital forensic haul of disturbing evidence. William Lee Potts was indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on charges stemming from alleged criminal acts between April 26 and May 1, 2019.
The indictment, returned today, replaces a criminal complaint initially filed on May 3, 2019. It charges Potts with one count of using a minor to produce child pornography—a felony that carries severe mandatory penalties if he is convicted at trial. The charge is not a finding of guilt, but a formal accusation requiring prosecution before a jury.
According to an affidavit supporting the original complaint, law enforcement found Potts in a Joplin motel room with a 16-year-old child victim on May 1, 2019. A search of his cell phone uncovered sexually explicit images and video classified as child pornography under federal law. The digital evidence formed the backbone of the investigation and led to federal charges.
The case was investigated by a coalition of local and federal agencies, including the Joplin Police Department, the Waynesville, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, and the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force. Their joint efforts reflect the multi-layered approach authorities are now taking to dismantle networks of child exploitation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher is prosecuting the case, which falls under the umbrella of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation. The program strengthens coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement to identify, arrest, and prosecute offenders, while also prioritizing victim identification and rescue.
This case underscores the grim reality of how easily technology can be weaponized against vulnerable youth. As the investigation moves forward, authorities remind the public that any suspicion of child exploitation should be reported immediately to local law enforcement or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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