Marcus E. Gardner, Child Pornography, Missouri 2024

ST. LOUIS – A St. Charles man has been sentenced to six and one-half years in prison for possessing thousands of images and hundreds of videos containing child pornography.

Marcus E. Gardner, 48, was found to have possessed approximately 11,000 images and 500 videos of child sexual abuse, which were discovered on his computer and external hard drives. Gardner also admitted to accessing an overseas website that offered child pornography for a fee, making at least two purchases and accessing the site 1,132 times between Sept. 2, 2015 and Dec. 3, 2018.

The website, which had collected the equivalent of at least $19 million in profit from users paying to access and download content, was discovered by agents with Homeland Security Investigations. Gardner’s case was investigated by the same agency, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuting the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006. This initiative marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

Gardner was ordered to pay $78,000 in restitution to victims who have been identified by law enforcement. This restitution is a result of his possession of thousands of images and hundreds of videos containing child pornography.

The sentence of six and one-half years in prison is a result of Gardner’s guilty plea in March to a charge of possession of child pornography. This sentence demonstrates the gravity of the offense and the commitment of law enforcement to holding individuals accountable for their actions.

Mandatory facts: Defendant’s full name: Marcus E. Gardner; Exact criminal charges: Possession of child pornography; City and state: St. Charles, Missouri; Exact date: No specific date mentioned for the crime, but the sentence was handed down on Wednesday, presumably in 2024; Sentence or outcome: 6 ½ years in prison; Dollar amounts: $78,000 in restitution to victims, at least $19 million in profit from the overseas website.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Sex Crimes

Joshua E. Lange, Child Sex Exploitation, Illinois 2017

Nov 9, 2018

Sex Crimes

Enrique Paulo Pucha-Jimenez, Production of Child Pornography, Connecticut 2024

Sep 2, 2025

Sex Crimes

Arthur Wayne Kniffley, Child Sex Coercion and Child Pornography Production, Kentucky 2007

Feb 8, 2017

Sex Crimes

Jonathan Sebert, Receipt of Child Pornography, Iowa 2016

Jan 5, 2017