Kyle J. Gipson, 23, of the Fenton area has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after admitting to recording the sexual of abuse of a toddler. He also was ordered to pay $5,000 that will go into a fund for victims and prevention programs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported.
U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White sentenced Gipson, who lives in the Jefferson County portion of Fenton, on March 6. Gipson had pleaded guilty on Nov. 30 to felony production of child pornography, court documents show.
In March 2023, an FBI agent learned about Gipson through the Wickr social media platform. The agent infiltrated an online group on the platform that was dedicated to discussing and trading original images of child sexual abuse, the plea agreement 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, told the agent he had abused the child and offered to provide the agent access to the girl to sexually abuse her, according to the agreement.
On March 13, 2023, investigators searched Gibson’s home and found materials showing child sexual abuse involving the toddler he discussed with the agent and other children. Investigators learned Gipson used social media platforms to discuss abusing the victim with at least six other people, the agreement said.
Investigators 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, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson handled 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.