Michael V. Lucas, Child Pornography, Missouri 2016

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for receiving and distributing child pornography.

Michael V. Lucas, 31, of Springfield, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Lucas on Sept. 21, 2016. Lucas remains in federal custody without bond.

The federal indictment alleges that Lucas received and distributed child pornography from Jan. 1, 2016, to Sept. 22, 2016.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, a federal law enforcement agent in Phoenix, Ariz., encountered a person later identified as Lucas among the participants who were live streaming images and videos of child pornography over the Internet on Sept. 15, 2016. During the live streaming session, the affidavit says, Lucas claimed to have molested two 13- and 16-year-old victims and said he would attempt to broadcast a future sexual encounter with the victims.

Lucas was partially visible in a reflection during the live stream, the affidavit says. The federal agent engaged in two additional live streaming sessions that day in which Lucas allegedly participated and continued to share images and videos of child pornography.

Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force.

Lucas was charged with receiving and distributing child pornography. He is currently in federal custody without bond.

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