Brian M. Keiper Press Release (Guilty Plea)

ST. LOUIS COUNTY MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGE

November 26, 2007

United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway announced today that a St. Louis County man pled guilty to a child pornography charge.

BRIAN M. KEIPER of Hazelwood, Missouri, entered a guilty plea to two counts of possession of child pornography. He appeared before U.S. District Judge Jean C. Hamilton on Monday, November 26, 2007.

Keiper now faces a maximum of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine with the Court imposing a period of supervised release up to life. Sentencing has been set for February 25, 2008 in Cape Girardeau.

With his plea, Keiper admitted that on March 15, 2007, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence in Hazelwood, Missouri. Earlier that day, the defendant had informed officers of the Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Police Department that there were images of child pornography on his personal computer, as well as computer discs within his home. The defendant stated that he was solely responsible for the images on the computer and discs.
Forensic analysis of Keiper’s computer and floppy discs by the Regional Computer Crimes Education & Enforcement Group of Greater St. Louis revealed that Keiper possessed more than 300 image files of child pornography, that is images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Furthermore, some of the images involved children under the age of twelve.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

Hanaway commended the Poplar Bluff Police Department’s Southeast Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Regional Computer Crimes Education and Enforcement Group, the Hazelwood Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Child Victim Identification Program for their combined efforts to prosecute this case. Assistant United States Attorney Abbie Crites-Leoni handled the prosecution for the Government.

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI SOUTHEASTERN DIVISION - CAPE GIRARDEAU CATHERINE L. HANAWAY United States Attorney	NEWS RELEASE
For further information: Call AUSA Abbie Crites-Leoni at (573) 334-3736
ST. LOUIS COUNTY MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGE November 26, 2007 United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway announced today that a St. Louis County man pled guilty to a child pornography charge. BRIAN M. KEIPER of Hazelwood, Missouri, entered a guilty plea to two counts of possession of child pornography. He appeared before U.S. District Judge Jean C. Hamilton on Monday, November 26, 2007. Keiper now faces a maximum of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine with the Court imposing a period of supervised release up to life. Sentencing has been set for February 25, 2008 in Cape Girardeau. With his plea, Keiper admitted that on March 15, 2007, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence in Hazelwood, Missouri. Earlier that day, the defendant had informed officers of the Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Police Department that there were images of child pornography on his personal computer, as well as computer discs within his home. The defendant stated that he was solely responsible for the images on the computer and discs. Forensic analysis of Keiper’s computer and floppy discs by the Regional Computer Crimes Education & Enforcement Group of Greater St. Louis revealed that Keiper possessed more than 300 image files of child pornography, that is images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Furthermore, some of the images involved children under the age of twelve. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/. Hanaway commended the Poplar Bluff Police Department’s Southeast Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Regional Computer Crimes Education and Enforcement Group, the Hazelwood Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Child Victim Identification Program for their combined efforts to prosecute this case. Assistant United States Attorney Abbie Crites-Leoni handled the prosecution for the Government.