A St. Louis man has pleaded guilty to producing child pornography and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, federal authorities said.
Tracy Jenkins, 59, admitted to producing child pornography involving at least eight victims, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of production of child pornography and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Jenkins admitted to sexually abusing five children and recording the abuse, which has been circulating online since at least 2022. Three other victims have also been identified, according to his plea agreement.
One of the victims was 6 years old when the abuse began, and another was 11. Jenkins provided food, money, clothing, and other items of value to some of the victims. His face is clearly visible in many of the videos he produced.
The FBI’s Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Unit determined the identity of one of the victims, and agents contacted the St. Louis FBI office. They quickly located Jenkins and conducted a court-approved search of his home, finding multiple electronic devices with thousands of files containing child pornography.
Agents also located about 200 videos that Jenkins produced of his sexual abuse of the victims, ranging in length from seconds to over one hour and 45 minutes, according to his plea agreement. Jenkins began making videos at least as early as 2013 and was present with one victim the day before the FBI searched his home.
FBI agents also found a Sarsilmaz 9mm pistol in Jenkins’ home, which had been stolen in St. Louis County. Jenkins is a convicted felon and is barred from possessing firearms.
Jenkins is scheduled to be sentenced in December and faces a possible 40-year sentence, according to his plea agreement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson will ask for this sentence.
The FBI investigated the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
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- Anthony Quin Hodges Sentenced for Child Pornography Crimes · Missouri
- Joplin Man Indicted for Child Pornography Scheme · Missouri
- Joplin Man Indicted for Producing Child Pornography · Missouri
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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