Jesse Galayda, 33, of High Ridge has been sentenced to 17 1/2 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography. He also faces nine felony charges in Jefferson County Div. 10 Circuit Court for allegedly sexually abusing a teenager, court records show.
Galayda pleaded guilty to possession of child porn on April 19. U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp sentenced Galayda on July 27, court documents said.
According to the guilty plea agreement, St. Louis County Police Special Victim Investigations Unit received a report May 11, 2022, of possible juvenile sexual abuse. The report said the abuse had been ongoing for about six years.
The victim said Galayda would record their sexual encounters, and Galayda would show the victim child pornography. Investigators seized Galayda’s desktop computer on May 14, 2022, and they found more than 2,950 pictures and more than 400 videos of child porn, the plea said.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed felony charges against Galayda on May 19, 2022, according to court records.
Galayda has been charged with first-degree statutory sodomy, an unclassified felony punishable by five years to life in prison; three counts of second-degree statutory sodomy, a class B felony that carries a penalty of five to 15 years in prison; two counts of enticement of a child, an unclassified felony punishable by five to 30 years in prison; one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, a class B felony; one count of second-degree possession of child pornography, a class B felony; and one count of furnishing pornographic material to a minor, a class A misdemeanor that carries a penalty of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000, court documents show.
Galayda is scheduled to appear before Jefferson County Div. 10 Circuit Judge Jeffrey Thomas Coleman on Sept. 18 for a preliminary hearing, court records show.