Jefferson City, Missouri – A Missouri man is facing a long list of federal charges after authorities say a cyber tip opened the door to an investigation involving the alleged production, distribution, and possession of child s**ual abuse material.
Nathan Robert Kent, 33, of Jefferson City, was charged by a federal grand jury in the Western District of Missouri with three counts of production of child po**ography, two counts of distribution of child po**ography, and one count of possession of child po**ography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to the Department of Justice, the case began after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTipline report from Snapchat. That tip was then followed by law enforcement action, including the execution of a search warrant at Kent’s residence.
Investigators later conducted a forensic review of Kent’s electronic devices. According to federal prosecutors, that examination led authorities to believe Kent had been using Snapchat and encrypted cellphone applications to entice minor females into producing child pornography.
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Officials also said Kent allegedly sent files depicting child s**ual abuse material, commonly referred to as CSAM, to multiple users.
Authorities further said investigators discovered more than 1,000 CSAM files in Kent’s possession.
The charges, announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, remain accusations at this stage. Prosecutors noted that the allegations in the indictment are not evidence of guilt.
Any evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, which would be responsible for deciding whether Kent is guilty or not guilty.
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If convicted under federal law, Kent could face up to 140 years in federal prison without parole. Prosecutors said the maximum possible sentence is set by Congress and is provided for informational purposes.
Any actual sentence would be decided by the court after considering advisory sentencing guidelines, statutory factors, and the findings of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
A sentencing hearing would be scheduled only after the completion of that presentence investigation, if Kent is convicted.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. The investigation was handled by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office and the Jefferson City Police Department.
