Judge Convicts Lebanon, Missouri Man of Child Sexual Exploitation

LEBANON, Missouri (edited press release/KY3) – A judge has convicted a Lebanon, Missouri, man in federal court of sexually exploiting children from several countries.

John Anthony Carpenter, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 25 years in federal prison without the possibility of parole. The court also sentenced Carpenter to 25 years of post-prison supervision and ordered him to pay $15,000 in restitution to his victims. Carpenter will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which could apply for the rest of his life.

On January 30, 2024, Carpenter pleaded guilty to one count of child sexual exploitation.

On April 13, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Carpenter’s residence in connection with two separate child sexual exploitation investigations in Connecticut and New Jersey. Officers found Carpenter at his workplace, and he surrendered two cell phones to investigators.

Carpenter admitted to viewing child pornography, sending child pornography, and soliciting child pornography from multiple victims. Carpenter sent Robux (the currency used with the online gaming platform Roblox) to underage girls in exchange for nude photos and videos. Investigators found 36 pre-paid Robux cards in Carpenter’s bedroom. Carpenter told investigators that a week earlier, he had sent a $10 Robux gift card to a 16- or 17-year-old girl in exchange for nude photos of her.

Carpenter stated that he used applications and sites such as Snapchat, Likee, Discord and Omegle to collect and exchange child pornography.

Investigators found 956 files containing child sexual abuse material and 6,512 files containing child sexual abuse material or material that is difficult to find on Carpenter’s electronic devices. Among the files were images and videos that Carpenter had requested from underage victims living in Dubai, the Philippines and the United Kingdom.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Connecticut State Police, the Essex County, N.J., Prosecutor’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Horry County, S.C., Sheriff’s Department, the Laclede County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Southwest Missouri Cyber ​​Crimes Task Force.

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