A former kindergarten teacher from Farmington, Missouri has pleaded guilty to possessing and sharing child sexual abuse material. Erika L. Morton, 37, entered her plea on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau.
According to court documents, Morton admitted to sending child sexual abuse material through the Kik Messenger app. The investigation began in February 2025 when the Missouri State Highway Patrol received a cybertip that a Kik user had uploaded videos containing images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Investigators linked the account to Morton and interviewed her on June 17, 2025. During the interview, she acknowledged being responsible for sending the material and said she used her cell phone at home in Ste. Genevieve County to obtain it.
Morton is set for sentencing in April. She faces up to 10 years in prison and a possible fine of $250,000.
The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester handling prosecution.
"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," according to information provided by federal authorities. "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." Additional details about Project Safe Childhood are available at www.justice.gov/psc.
