U. S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming | U.S. Department of Justice
A Cape Girardeau man has pleaded guilty to charges related to the production of child pornography. Steven Lee Brown, aged 33, admitted to recording his sexual abuse of a child in a U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau.
Court documents reveal that the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office received a report last May about Brown's sexual abuse of a 10-year-old child. Following an interview with the child, who confirmed the abuse, officers went to Brown’s residence. During their investigation, Brown confessed to engaging in various sexual acts with the child and using his cell phone to record some of these activities.
Authorities seized Brown’s phone and found several sexually explicit images of the minor on the device. At his plea hearing, Brown acknowledged using his cell phone to produce the explicit material.
Brown is scheduled for sentencing on March 6, 2025. He faces a minimum prison sentence of 15 years and could receive up to 30 years.
The case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester is leading the prosecution for the government.
