A DeSoto, Missouri man pleaded guilty Thursday to federal child pornography charges involving three victims. Dylan James, 25, admitted in court to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.
According to prosecutors, James recorded a sexual act with a 13-year-old in 2024 and then distributed the recording. Authorities later found evidence on his phone related to two additional victims. The second victim, age 15, told investigators that James provided her with alcohol and "possibly some vapes" in exchange for sexually explicit images. A third victim was 16 when James watched a livestream of her engaging in sex acts with her boyfriend; he later paid her for more videos, according to the plea agreement.
James is scheduled for sentencing on December 2. The production charge carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 15 years. The distribution charge has a potential penalty ranging from five to twenty years.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, St. Louis County Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case.
"This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc."
