ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp sentenced former Phelps County Sheriff's Deputy Justin Bradley Durham to 65 years in prison for soliciting sex acts, receiving child sexual abuse material from minors, and destroying evidence to obstruct the FBI investigation. Durham was ordered to pay $79,160 in restitution to the victims. His guilty plea in October included charges of producing and receiving child pornography and destroying records in a federal investigation.
Durham admitted to soliciting a sexually explicit video from a 15-year-old in 2013 and paying her $200 after sex acts. He engaged in repeated sexual activities with a 17-year-old, including in his patrol vehicle, and exchanged explicit content with her. Their contact began in 2016 when Durham responded to an incident involving her friend.
The FBI scrutinized Durham in 2023 after a link between his PayPal account and a child pornography transaction was uncovered. Despite Durham's denial of purchasing such material, he refused a phone search by agents. He subsequently bought a new phone, destroyed the old one, and erased his Dropbox account, which contained explicit material. The Sheriff’s Department dismissed and arrested him on August 9, 2023. In custody, Durham confessed to destroying digital devices and effectively clearing his online presence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman's sentencing memo highlighted Durham's solicitation of sexual content from other women, including a parolee, and his sending of sexual letters to Phelps County Jail inmates. "Justin Durham avoided detection by exploiting what he knew about law enforcement, often targeting vulnerable victims," said Special Agent Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division.
Sheriff Michael P. Kirn emphasized the importance of accountability in law enforcement through a statement denouncing Durham's actions and affirming ethical standards within the community. "The actions of individuals like Justin Durham are not representative of our dedicated law enforcement community," Sheriff Kirn stated.
The FBI and the Missouri State Highway Patrol carried out the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 aiming to curb child sexual exploitation.
