Sayler A. Fleming, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney' Office for the Eastern District of Missouri
Sayler A. Fleming, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney' Office for the Eastern District of Missouri
A Missouri man from Jefferson County has admitted to attempting to meet a 16-year-old for sexual activity. Anthony Justin Snelson, aged 39 and residing in Arnold, Missouri, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of attempted receipt of child pornography.
Snelson acknowledged engaging in an inappropriate conversation with a teenager via TikTok. The situation came to light when the victim's mother discovered the conversation and began impersonating her daughter. She later arranged for her daughter to call Snelson, during which he requested a nude photo and suggested meeting up to "mess around," according to his plea.
The mother contacted the St. Louis County Police Department on August 12, 2024, after arranging a meeting with Snelson. He was arrested upon arrival and admitted during police questioning that his intention was "to maybe mess around."
Snelson is due for sentencing on September 30. The charge he faces carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years and could extend up to 20 years.
The investigation was conducted by the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project involves federal, state, and local resources working together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals exploiting children online while also identifying and rescuing victims.
For further details about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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