Wilbert Ballard, Child Exploitation, Missouri 2025

Jefferson City Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

A Jefferson City man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for the sexual exploitation of a child. Wilbert Ballard, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Ballard to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration. Ballard will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

Ballard pleaded guilty to producing child pornography on December 3, 2024. The investigation into Ballard’s crimes began on June 11, 2023, when Jefferson City Police Officers were contacted by an individual who had found video evidence of the defendant engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a six-year-old child. Officers performed an extraction on Mr. Ballard’s cellular phone and located the video described by the witness. Based upon the video, the child may have been asleep while the act was being done and the video created.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Turner. It was investigated by Jefferson City Police Department.

The case against Ballard was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

Ballard’s crimes are a stark reminder of the devastating impact of child exploitation on victims and their families. The Jefferson City Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are commended for their tireless efforts to bring perpetrators to justice and protect the community.

Wilbert Ballard was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole for the sexual exploitation of a child. He will also serve 15 years of supervised release following incarceration and will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.

This case serves as a reminder of the importance of reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement. If you have any information about child exploitation or abuse, please contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST or the Jefferson City Police Department at 573-634-6400.

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