A former school bus driver from St. Peters, Missouri has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for recording his sexual abuse of two young children. During a hearing, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey handed down the sentence to 67-year-old Robert W. Stillwell on Tuesday.
Stillwell admitted to sexually abusing two girls born in 2016 and 2022. The abuse included both instances when the children were awake and asleep. The older girl suffered abuse for at least two years, during which Stillwell used promises of toys and money, as well as threats, to coerce her compliance. Stillwell also reportedly modified his voice to impersonate elementary school-aged girls in recordings he used to pressure the older victim further.
The case came to light after the parents of the older victim reported unusual behavior to the St. Peters Police Department in December 2023. Their daughter revealed that Stillwell, who claimed her urine was medicinal, had been consuming it. Subsequent investigations uncovered recordings of the abuse.
Judge Autrey described the case as one of the “most vile and most despicable” that he has encountered.
In January, Stillwell pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography. The case was investigated by the FBI, the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force, and the St. Peters Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson led the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice launched in 2006 to address the problem of child sexual exploitation and abuse. This program coordinates various resources at federal, state, and local levels to apprehend offenders and rescue victims. Additional information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.