ST. LOUIS – James L. Rodgers, age 42, of Farmington, Missouri appeared before United States District Court Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on today’s date and was sentenced to 16 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for the receipt of child pornography and the coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to the plea agreement, on or between May 1, 2019, and October 9, 2019, in St. Francois County, Missouri, Rodgers utilized the internet and social media websites to communicate with multiple victims under the age of ten. Rodgers used the social media sites to request the victims to engage in sexual acts and that they produce and send to him images and videos of such sexual acts over the internet.
An examination of the Rodger’s cell phone by law enforcement also revealed he was distributing child pornography with others over the internet. On September 22, 2019, Rodgers shared eleven videos and nine images of child pornography and again on September 27, 2019, Rodgers exchanged five videos and sixteen images of child pornography over a social media platform.
The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.