Out-of-state doctor accused of sex crime in Missouri

A Laclede County, Missouri, man says that he discovered sexually explicit content on his 16-year-old son’s cellphone and notified the Missouri Highway Patrol. The alleged “sexting” content included images, text language and a video that authorities believe were sent from a 36-year-old doctor in another state. Officials claim that an investigation into the alleged sexting incident suggests that the teen and the man each exchanged sexually explicit content.

Law enforcement claims that the Oklahoma doctor sent a text message to the Missouri teen last week that purported to set up a meeting at a Springfield, Missouri, hotel between the two. Officers went to that motel Saturday and ultimately arrested the Oklahoma man on suspicion of a sexual exploitation of a minor charge, according to the News-Leader. Sexual exploitation is essentially a form of child pornography allegation.

So-called “sexting” issues have garnered many headlines in recent years, especially related to scandals among adult politicians. However, child pornography issues may arise if sexually explicit content involving a person under the age of 18 is implicated.

In the recent Greene County, Missouri confrontation between the doctor and authorities, law enforcement says that during an interrogation the Oklahoma man says that he met the Missouri teen online. Authorities claim that the man has met other teens (as young as 14) online through a number of websites. Officials say that some of the websites are “hidden” sites, according to the newspaper account.

The man was booked into the Greene County jail and could be facing up to 30 years if convicted of the Missouri sex crime charges.

Source: News-Leader, “ Doctor facing child porn charge,” Oct. 1, 2013