Six Southern Missouri Men Indicted for Child Porn

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that six southern Missouri men have been indicted by a federal grand jury, in separate and unrelated cases, for receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet.

Each of the defendants was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016.

Sergio Rivera, 25, an active duty service member stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., allegedly received and distributed child pornography between Oct. 9, 2015, and May 17, 2016. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the South Central Missouri Computer Task Force.

Martin Vern Ellis, 26, of Carl Junction, Mo., allegedly received and distributed child pornography between April 24, 2015, and Oct. 17, 2016. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

William M. Walker, 74, of Branson, Mo., allegedly received and distributed child pornography between June 1 and Aug. 10, 2016. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the South Central Missouri Computer Task Force and the Taney County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

Casey Robert Caudle, 33, of Oronogo, Mo., allegedly received and distributed child pornography between Aug. 19, 2015, and June 22, 2016.

Brian G. Long, 38, of Oronogo, Mo., allegedly received and distributed child pornography between June 5 and Aug. 31, 2016.

Aaron Sean Fletcher, 31, Aurora, Mo., allegedly received and distributed child pornography between Sept. 11 and Oct. 24, 2016.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. They were investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force

Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in these indictments 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.

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."