Show-Me State Times

A Missouri man has been sentenced to more than 21 years in federal prison for producing child pornography involving a 14-year-old. U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig sentenced Todd Kelly, 37, of Washington, Missouri, to 260 months in prison and ordered that he be placed on supervised release for life after his incarceration.

Kelly admitted to recording his sexual activity with the minor using his cell phone during June and July of 2023. The case came to light in August 2023 when the victim’s father discovered communications on Snapchat between Kelly and his daughter, prompting an investigation. Authorities seized four cell phones belonging to Kelly and found video evidence.

Kelly pleaded guilty in April to one count of producing child pornography, a charge that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.

The Warren County Sheriff’s Department, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI were involved in investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianne Edwards prosecuted the matter.

The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse by coordinating federal, state, and local resources to find and prosecute offenders and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.

"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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc."