Kyle J. Gipson, 22, has admitted to recording the sexual of abuse of a toddler, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported.
Gipson, who lives in the unincorporated portion of Fenton, pleaded guilty on Thursday, Nov. 30, to felony production of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, court documents show.
The felony charge carries a penalty of 15 to 30 years in prison. Prosecutors will ask for the maximum penalty at the sentencing hearing, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement announcing the guilty plea.
In March, an FBI agent learned of Gipson through the social media platform Wickr. The agent infiltrated an online group on the platform that was dedicated to discussing and trading original images of child sexual abuse, the guilty plea said.
The agent communicated directly with Gipson through Wickr and Telegram, another social media platform. Gipson sent the agent a picture of a toddler-aged girl, and he told the agent he had abused the child, according to the plea agreement.
Gibson also offered to provide the agent access to the girl to sexually abuse her, according to the plea agreement.
On March 13, investigators searched Gibson’s home and found child sexual abuse material involving the toddler he discussed with the agent and other children. Investigators also found out Gipson used social media platforms to discuss abusing the victim with at least six other people, the plea said.
Investigators also discovered Gipson was a monitor and gatekeeper for a social media group focused on child sexual abuse material, bestiality and rape, according to the plea agreement.
The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Special Investigations Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is handling the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, go to justice.gov/psc.