Show-Me State Times

A man from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, has admitted to recording his sexual abuse of a minor with an intellectual disability. Jason R. Hicks-Simpson, 46, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to the plea agreement, the 17-year-old victim sought help from Hicks-Simpson’s girlfriend to stop the abuse. The girlfriend informed the victim's mother, who then contacted the Poplar Bluff Police Department in March 2024. The victim reported that Hicks-Simpson had been abusing her since she was five years old and claimed he threatened her life and her kittens if she revealed the abuse.

Hicks-Simpson initially told police that the incident occurred only once several months prior. However, investigators discovered videos on his phone dating back to May 2023.

Hicks-Simpson is set for sentencing on January 31, 2025. Both parties have agreed to recommend a prison sentence of 20 years as part of the plea deal.

The investigation was conducted by the Poplar Bluff Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter is prosecuting this case.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. This program coordinates federal, state, and local resources to apprehend individuals exploiting children via the Internet and aims to identify and rescue victims.