Callaway County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Offense After Paying for Live Child Porn Videos in the Philippines

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Holts-Summit, Mo. man, David Lee Maddox, 60, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of attempted production of child pornography.

The investigation began on Aug. 8, 2023 when the St. Louis Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office received a referral from HSI Portland, Maine pertaining to the defendant's communication via Microsoft Skype with known traffickers/sellers of live and recorded child sexual abuse videos operating in the Philippines. The investigation showed defendant used Skype to receive "shows" from minor victims in the Philippines and paid for the shows by sending money via various money transmittal services. From on or about Sept. 20, 2021, through Dec. 23, 2023, the defendant received "shows" depicting underage females on approximately 20 occasions.

Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice 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."

The defendant 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.