Show-Me State Times

A St. Louis County man has admitted to charges of drug possession and child pornography in a U.S. District Court in St. Louis. Tyler Jacob Staub, 24, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

As part of the plea agreement, Staub confessed to engaging in sexual activity with a 13-year-old victim and recording the acts on his phone. The case began on June 22, 2023, when the St. Charles County Police Department was alerted about the missing teenager. Her parents suspected she might be with someone driving a red or black Ford Mustang. Officers later found Staub and the victim inside a Mustang near her home, along with a Glock pistol, an AR-style pistol, and two bags containing fentanyl tablets.

The investigation revealed that the victim had met Staub online through Snapchat approximately two months prior and began meeting him in person three or four weeks before being found.

Staub's sentencing is scheduled for September 24. The child pornography charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. The fentanyl possession charge could result in at least five years up to 40 years in prison, along with fines reaching $5 million.

The case was investigated by the St. Charles County Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang prosecuting.

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 through federal collaboration.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.