A retired high school teacher from Sedalia, Missouri, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to engage in illicit sex with a minor, authorities announced.
Paul Robert Cannon, 71, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 10 years in federal prison without parole, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
Cannon, an industrial arts teacher from 1976 to 1996, retired from the Gasconade County R2 School District and also served one term as a member of the Gasconade County R2 Board of Education.
According to court documents, Cannon posted an advertisement on Craigslist in January 2016, seeking a ‘couple with kids’ for ‘sexual fun.’ The posting read: ‘Grandpa looking for a couple that would like to include their kids in sexual fun. White man, very discreet, very safe, retired teacher, and well endowed. Age and race are not an issue.’
A detective with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department responded to the ad, posing as a single mother with a 14-year-old daughter. Over the next six days, Cannon exchanged numerous emails and texts with the detective, describing various sex acts he intended to perform with the minor daughter.
The detective arranged to meet Cannon at a Columbia restaurant, where he was arrested. Cannon had offered to buy lunch for the mother and daughter before taking them to their residence for a sexual rendezvous.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Related Federal Cases
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- Ex-Professor Armitage Admits Traveling for Sex with Minor · Kansas
- Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years for Transporting Minor Across State Lines · Kansas
- Woman’s 17-Year Sentence Sought for Sex Exploitation of Minor · Kansas
- Vallejo Predator Jailed for 24 Years Over Child Sex Exploitation · Missouri
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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