Sergio Rivera, Receiving and Distributing Child Pornography, MO 2016

Six men from southern Missouri are facing federal charges in a sweeping crackdown on child pornography, indicted by a Springfield grand jury on November 2, 2016. Each defendant—Sergio Rivera, Martin Vern Ellis, William M. Walker, Casey Robert Caudle, Brian G. Long, and Aaron Sean Fletcher—is accused of receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet in separate, unrelated cases.

Sergio Rivera, 25, an active-duty soldier stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, allegedly trafficked in child porn between October 9, 2015, and May 17, 2016. His case, along with those of Martin Vern Ellis, 26, of Carl Junction, and William M. Walker, 74, of Branson, is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. Investigations involved ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations, the South Central Missouri Computer Task Force, and the Taney County Sheriff’s Department.

Martin Vern Ellis is accused of distributing and receiving illicit material from April 24, 2015, to October 17, 2016. William M. Walker allegedly accessed and shared the content between June 1 and August 10, 2016. Meanwhile, Casey Robert Caudle, 33, of Oronogo, is charged for conduct spanning August 19, 2015, to June 22, 2016. Brian G. Long, also of Oronogo and age 38, faces charges for activity between June 5 and August 31, 2016.

Aaron Sean Fletcher, 31, of Aurora, Mo., is accused of similar crimes between September 11 and October 24, 2016. The cases involving Caudle, Long, and Fletcher are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller and were investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson emphasized that the indictments are not proof of guilt—only allegations to be proven before a jury. Federal trial will determine the outcome, with prosecutors required to present evidence sufficient to convict beyond a reasonable doubt. Each defendant faces severe penalties if found guilty, including mandatory registration as a sex offender and lengthy prison terms.

The cases were brought under Project Safe Childhood, a DOJ initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation. The program unites federal, state, and local agencies to track down offenders, rescue victims, and strengthen prosecutions. Authorities urge the public to report suspicious online activity involving minors to help cut off the distribution of child pornography at its source.

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