Boonville Man Charged with Receiving and Possessing Child Pornography

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Lance Aaron Larkin, 35, of Boonville, Mo., was charged by a federal grand jury with receipt and possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).

During a proactive investigation into individuals using peer-to-peer software to distribute and receive child pornography by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a file was shared from Larkin's IP address. Following a residential search warrant and a review of his electronic devices, law enforcement determined Larkin possessed thousands of child pornography images and videos.

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, Lance Aaron Larkin is subject to a sentence of up to twenty 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 Missouri State Highway Patrol.

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."