JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Hickory County, Missouri man was charged by criminal complaint with distribution of child pornography. Kenneth S. Ratliff, 51, appeared in federal court on a criminal complaint signed by Chief United States Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr. According to the complaint, Ratliff was in a group chat used for trading Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) when he encountered undercover agents. While chatting with the undercover agents, Ratliff sent a CSAM video depicting a prepubescent child. Ratliff currently substitute teaches at Mack’s Creek School and is the head cross country coach. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Under federal statutes, Ratliff is subject to a sentence of up to 20 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 Federal Bureau of Investigations 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."