A man from O'Fallon, Missouri, has admitted to recording his sexual abuse of an 8-year-old. Jacob J. Hampton, aged 32, pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography. The investigation revealed that Hampton had stored child sexual abuse material online. Authorities discovered videos showing Hampton placing a hidden camera in a bathroom to record the young victim, along with other images.
Police found additional images on Hampton's phone depicting him abusing the victim and possessing child sexual abuse material obtained online. According to his plea agreement, both sides have agreed to recommend a sentence of 25 years in prison for Hampton. His sentencing is scheduled for April 22.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the St. Charles County Police Department, and the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project aims to marshal federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute individuals exploiting children via the Internet while also identifying and rescuing victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.