Independence Man Charged with Child Pornography

Quickly Arrested at Home with Child Victim the Same Day Photos Were Distributed

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Missouri, man who was arrested yesterday, the same day he shared pornographic images over the internet that he had just taken of a 5-year-old child victim, was charged in federal court today.

Justin Swift, 35, was charged in a two-count criminal complaint with producing child pornography and with distributing child pornography over the internet. Swift, who was arrested on Tuesday, April 28, remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Monday.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Swift shared 11 images of child pornography on Tuesday, April 28, with another person using the Kik message application on his phone. Swift falsely claimed the child victim was his 5-year-old daughter, the affidavit says, and commented that he took the photos either the night before or a few minutes before distributing them.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Swift’s residence later on the same day. Swift, an unidentified woman, and four children – including the child victim – were present. Officers seized Swift’s phone, the affidavit says, which contained numerous sexually explicit images of the child victim, including the same photos Swift had previously distributed via the Kik application. Swift was placed under arrest.

The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."