JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Callaway County, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court for producing and possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). Jimmy Joe Culbertson, 68, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr. to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Culbertson is a retired police sergeant, who served for more than 24 years.
Through his plea, Culbertson admits to photographing his abuse of two minor children. He also admits to possessing more than 150 CSAM files. Law enforcement located software intended to hide his online activity as well as permanently delete digital evidence. Under federal statutes, Culbertson is subject to a sentence of up to 70 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Taskforce. Project Safe ChildhoodThis case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."