Jurors in the U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau have found a Carter County, Missouri man guilty of producing child pornography. Clinton Rongey, aged 52, was convicted on Wednesday after evidence and testimony revealed he used a victim, aged three to four years old at the time, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for creating child sexual abuse material. Between February and November 2023, Rongey captured over 100 images of the victim.
Rongey's sentencing is set for April 29, 2025. The conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and could extend up to a maximum of 30 years.
The investigation was conducted by the Carter County Sheriff’s Office along with the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Hunter and Nathan Chapman.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. This program combines resources from federal, state, and local levels to locate and prosecute offenders exploiting children online while also working to identify and rescue victims.
For further details about Project Safe Childhood, information can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.