A former custodian from O'Fallon, Missouri, admitted to possessing child sexual abuse material in a hearing at the U.S. District Court in St. Louis. Bernard Ray Mennemeier, 58, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. He confessed to possessing child pornography and child erotica.
The investigation began on January 2, 2024, when Mennemeier uploaded videos containing child sexual abuse material to Dropbox. An FBI agent linked the Dropbox account to Mennemeier, leading to a court-approved search of his account and home. During an interview at the O'Fallon Police Department, Mennemeier acknowledged messaging an individual on Twitter who sold him child sexual abuse material, stating he purchased it "numerous" times, according to his plea agreement.
Mennemeier's sentencing is set for July 9, with a possible penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
"This crime came to light thanks to a CyberTip reported to our partners at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Bernard Mennemeier thought he could anonymously obtain and possess child sexual abuse material," said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. "When it comes to protecting children, the FBI is even more diligent in identify, locate, and arrest such perpetrators."
The FBI conducted the investigation as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative established in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project aims to leverage resources from federal, state, and local authorities to better identify and prosecute individuals exploiting children online and to rescue victims. Further information can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
