Joplin Man Sentenced for Child Pornography

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Clinton John Gray, 48, of Joplin, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and distributing child pornography, also referred to as "child sexual abuse material" or "CSAM."

Gray was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 200 months in federal prison without parole, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for his conviction of receipt and distribution of child pornography.

According to court documents, Gray, who pleaded guilty on Sept. 22, 2025, used social media applications to solicit sexually explicit images from minors. Gray engaged in online communications with an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing as a 14-year-old girl on Facebook. During the exchange, Gray sent the agent pictures of his genitals and requested nude photos from a person he believed to be a minor. A forensic search of Gray's phone located 1200 image files and 44 video files depicting child pornography. In addition to his sentence, Gray was ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution to the victims depicted in those CSAM images and videos.

Gray will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force, and the Joplin Police Department.

Project Safe Childhood

This 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."