4 southwest Missouri men indicted for child exploitation

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Four southwest Missouri men were indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday in separate and unrelated cases of child exploitation. These indictments resulted from investigations conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

USA v. Farris

Jason Farris, 31, of Anderson, Mo., was charged in a Sept. 28 indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. The indictment alleges that Farris received and distributed child pornography over the Internet between July 17 and Aug. 26, 2011. The case was investigated by ICE HSI and the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force.

USA v. Rohe

William Rohe, 54, of Pierce City, Mo., was charged Sept. 28 in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. The indictment alleges that, between Aug. 2 and 6, 2011, Rohe used the Internet to attempt to induce a minor under the age of 14 to engage in illicit sexual activity. Rohe is also charged with possessing child pornography. The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Rohe to forfeit to the government any property used to commit the alleged offense, including multiple computers and hard drives.

The case was investigated by ICE HSI and the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force, the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff's Department, and the Pierce City, Mo., Police Department.

USA v. Hammond

Adam Hammond, 22, of Climax Springs, Mo., was charged Sept. 28 in a three-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. The superseding indictment replaces an indictment that was returned against Hammond on May 11, and includes an additional count of producing child pornography. The indictment alleges that Hammond used a minor, identified as “Jane Doe,” to produce child pornography between Oct. 31 and Dec. 29, 2010, in Polk County, Mo.

As in the original indictment, Hammond is charged with using the Internet and a cell phone to induce an minor under the age of 14 to engage in illicit sex, and with receiving and distributing child pornography. The indictment also contains a forfeiture count, which would require Hammond to forfeit to the government any property used to commit the alleged offense, including a cell phone. The case was investigated by ICE HSI, the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force, the Polk County, Mo., Sheriff's Department, and the Camden County, Mo., Sheriff's Department.

USA v. Ellrick

Lawrence Ellrick, 34, an active duty soldier at Ft. Leonard Wood, was charged Sept. 28 in a two-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. The superseding indictment replaces an indictment that was returned against Ellrick on Feb. 10, and includes an additional count of using a minor to produce child pornography between Jan. 1 and May 31, 2010, in Texas County, Mo. As in the original indictment, Ellrick is also charged with possessing child pornography between Jan. 1 and May 31, 2010.

The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Ellrick to forfeit to the government any property used to commit the alleged offenses, including a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a computer hard drive and a digital camera. The case was investigated by ICE HSI and Army CID.

All four cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher, Western District of Missouri. The charges contained in these indictments 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.