A man from Jefferson County, Missouri, has admitted to attempting to meet a 16-year-old for sexual activity. Anthony Justin Snelson, 39, of Arnold, Missouri, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of attempted receipt of child pornography.
Snelson acknowledged engaging in inappropriate communication with a teenager via TikTok. The victim's mother discovered the conversation and began impersonating her daughter. She arranged for her daughter to call Snelson, who requested a nude photo and proposed meeting up to "mess around," according to his plea. The mother alerted the St. Louis County Police Department on August 12, 2024. Officers arrested Snelson upon his arrival at the arranged meeting location. During an interview with police, Snelson admitted that his intention was "to maybe mess around."
Sentencing is set for September 30. The charge carries a mandatory minimum prison term of five years and a maximum of 20 years.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project involves federal, state, and local resources aimed at locating and prosecuting offenders exploiting children online while also identifying and rescuing victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
