Dixon man facing child pornography charges

Hundreds of images discovered during three-year-long VPD, STAT investigation

Posted 3/24/21

VIENNA — Vienna Police Chief Shannon Thompson reports a nearly three-year-long joint investigation involving suspected child pornography came to close last week with the arrest of 39-year-old …

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Dixon man facing child pornography charges

Hundreds of images discovered during three-year-long VPD, STAT investigation

Posted

VIENNA — Vienna Police Chief Shannon Thompson reports a nearly three-year-long joint investigation involving suspected child pornography came to close last week with the arrest of 39-year-old Joshua K. Willis of Dixon.

The investigation began Nov. 27, 2017, when Vienna Police Department was following up on a report of harassment by means of computer and electronic devices. This investigation led to a search warrant which was executed Feb. 13, 2018, by VPD and the Maries County Sheriff’s Office at a residence located on the Maries-Pulaski County line. During the search numerous electronics, computers as well as controlled substances were seized.

VPD sought the assistance of the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team (S.T.A.T.), a child abuse investigative division of Missouri’s Social Services Department. The S.T.A.T. team was tasked with analyzing the data stored on the seized devices.

During that analysis, child abuse investigators located data that was suspected to contain child pornography. As a result, a second search warrant was ordered by the Associate Circuit Court of Maries County, which was executed Feb. 20, 2019.

During the analysis, S.T.A.T. investigators recovered hundreds of images and videos of suspected material that provided probable cause for the arrest of the suspect.

Honorable Judge Kerry Rowden issued an arrest warrant Feb. 24, 2021, based on the complaint filed by Maries County Prosecuting Attorney Anthony “Tony” Skouby for the suspect.

Willis was taken into custody Sunday, March 14,  and transported to the Maries County Jail where he was held until his first court appearance on a $50,000 bond. He is charged with four counts of Class B felony possession of child pornography.