St. Louis County man pleads guilty to child pornography charges

 ST. LOUIS –Harry Hamm, 79, of Chesterfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography and one count of access with intent to view child pornography. Hamm appeared, Wednesday, before United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark.

On April 19, 2019, officers from the St. Ann Police Department, obtained a search warrant to search Hamm’s premises and conducted the search on the same day. Police then contacted the St. Louis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A special agent obtained a federal search warrant to search the items seized by St. Ann Police from Hamm, his home and Hamm’s employer, including two iPhones, an Acer laptop computer, an iPad and a Toshiba laptop. The items were then searched by a forensic examiner.

A forensics examiner located on Hamm’s iPhones deleted web history showing the phones were used to search for and view child pornography. The examiner also found images of child pornography.

The examiner found: (1) deleted images of child pornography on Hamm’s Acer laptop; (2) deleted web history showing searches for a viewing of child pornography on Hamm’s iPad; and (3) computer search terms consistent with child pornography on Hamm’s Toshiba laptop computer.

The special agent obtained, through Canada’s legal process, Hamm’s Shoebox account, which revealed images of child pornography. Hamm used his iPhone and the internet to access his Shoebox account between March 1, 2018 and April 18, 2019.

Altogether, Hamm possessed 57 images of child pornography. Some included prepubescent minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, sadistic or masochistic conduct or other acts of violence.

Each charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and $250,000 fine. The charge of access with intent to view child pornography carries a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and $250,000 fine.

Judge Clark has not yet set a sentencing date for Hamm.

The FBI and St. Ann Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Rob Livergood is handling the case.