KANSAS CITY, Mo. – David M. Ketchmark, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Blue Springs, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today on charges related to viewing and receiving child pornography over the Internet.

Dennis W. Myers, 52, of Blue Springs, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Myers formerly served as a youth pastor at churches in Independence, Mo., and in Arkansas.

Today’s indictment alleges that Myers accessed the Internet in order to view child pornography between April 1 and Sept. 16, 2011. Myers is also charged with one count of receiving a video of child pornography over the Internet and one count of possessing child pornography.

Ketchmark cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine Fincham. It was investigated by the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

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