St. Louis — U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp sentenced Ian Wood, a 45-year-old former hospital worker from Rolla, Missouri, to 20 years in prison for producing child pornography. Wood pleaded guilty in January to charges of producing and receiving child pornography. He admitted to recording videos of three nude girls, including one who was 10 years old, and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in his Google account.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received an alert about the CSAM, prompting law enforcement to investigate. A court-authorized search of Wood’s Google accounts revealed the CSAM and videos of unsuspecting adult women recorded in the hospital where he worked. The women were filmed in various states of undress in a room and shower.
Mark Zito, ICE Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City Special Agent in Charge, stated, “The actions of this individual are not only reprehensible, but they are also a grotesque violation of human dignity and trust. We will relentlessly pursue anyone who preys on the innocent.” He emphasized the firm commitment of law enforcement to bring predators to justice and protect communities.
The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, the South-Central Missouri Computer Crimes Task Force, and the Missouri Department of Social Services’ State Technical Assistance Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project aims to locate, apprehend, and prosecute perpetrators who exploit children online and to identify and rescue victims.
For more information on Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.