James Bowen, 73, of Pevely has pleaded guilty to felony charges for production, receipt and possession of child pornography between Jan. 1, 2014, and Feb. 29, 2016, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reports.
According to court documents, Bowen had sexual contact with a minor under the age of 12 in 2014 and took about 30 to 40 photos of her “in various stages of undress,” the Attorney’s Office reported.
During the investigation, officers found more than 5,288 child pornography images and 810 child pornography videos on his computers, many of them featuring children younger than 12, the report said.
Bowen pleaded guilty to one count each of production, receipt and possession of child pornography, all felonies, in front of U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White in St. Louis. Sentencing has been scheduled for Oct. 26.
The production of child pornography carries a sentence of 15 to 30 years in prison, receipt of child porn is punishable by five to 20 years in prison and the possession charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, according to the report.
The case was investigated by the Pevely Police Department, the FBI and the St. Louis County Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. U.S. attorney Colleen Lang is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.