Ferrelview Man Indicted for Producing Child Porn; Exploited Four Victims

KANSAS CITY, MO—David M. Ketchmark, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Ferrelview, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today on charges related to producing child pornography that involve four victims.

Raymond M. Appling, 30, of Ferrelview, was charged in a nine-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo.

Today’s indictment alleges that Appling sexually exploited four minor victims.

Appling is charged with four counts related to one of the child victims, identified as Jane Doe #1. Appling is charged with producing child pornography, attempting to produce child pornography and distributing child pornography over the Internet between September 2010 and July 2011. Appling is also charged with transporting Jane Doe #1 from Missouri to California in May 2011 with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

Appling is charged with three counts related to another child victim, identified as Jane Doe #3. Appling is charged with attempting to produce child pornography, producing child pornography and distributing child pornography over the Internet between June 2010 and July 2011.

Appling is charged with two counts of attempting to produce child pornography in which he victimized Jane Doe #2 (on July 17, 2011) and Jane Doe #4 (between July 14, 2010, and May 2, 2011).

Ketchmark cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment 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 Teresa Moore. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.

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.”