SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for receiving and distributing child pornography.
Michael V. Lucas, 31, of Springfield, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield.
The federal indictment alleges that Lucas received and distributed child pornography from Jan. 1, 2016, to Sept. 22, 2016.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, a federal law enforcement agent in Phoenix, Ariz., encountered a person later identified as Lucas among the participants who were live streaming images and videos of child pornography over the Internet on Sept. 15, 2016. During the live streaming session, the affidavit says, Lucas claimed to have molested two 13- and 16-year-old victims and said he would attempt to broadcast a future sexual encounter with the victims.
Lucas was partially visible in a reflection during the live stream, the affidavit says. The federal agent engaged in two additional live streaming sessions that day in which Lucas allegedly participated and continued to share images and videos of child pornography.
On Sept. 19, 2016, according to the affidavit, Lucas was identified by the agent posting messages in a known pedophile group. These messages described the number of videos he possessed as well as advertising his new Skype group. Lucas was live streaming videos of child pornography, the affidavit says, and his reflection could be seen. Lucas also shared two links to a Dropbox account that contained images of child pornography, the affidavit says, and claimed that he was in possession of more than 1,000 videos of child pornography.
On Sept. 20, 2016, Lucas allegedly was live streaming and moved the position of the camera to show his face. Lucas allegedly also displayed a handgun and loaded magazine for the weapon during the course of the stream.
A federal law enforcement agent in Springfield executed a search warrant at Lucas’s residence on Sept. 22, 2016, and Lucas was arrested.
