ST. LOUIS – A grim day in the legal arena as Donald Carl Held, a 50-year-old man from Warren County, Missouri, faced court on Thursday for his admission to sharing child sexual abuse material online.
Held, who pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, was charged with one count of receipt and one count of distribution of child pornography. He confessed to swapping photos, which he claimed depicted a 15-year-old girl, with an undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent. Held further admitted to having inappropriate contact with the teenager.
On March 4, 2024, a joint HSI-St. Charles County Police Department investigation led to a warrant-approved search of Held’s residence, uncovering electronic devices laden with child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Held confessed to sharing CSAM almost daily with others online through the messaging app Teleguard. He also provided guidance on evading law enforcement.
Analysis of Held’s cellphone revealed 1,077 images and videos containing CSAM. His Teleguard and Telegram accounts contained extensive communications involving the exchange and promotion of such material. Held faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years for each charge, with sentencing scheduled for October 27.
The Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is handling the prosecution of this case. Brought under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child exploitation and abuse online, this case underscores the relentless efforts of federal, state, and local authorities to apprehend those who prey on children.
For more information on Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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