A former corrections officer at the Jefferson City Correctional Center and his wife were sentenced in federal court for charges related to the video recording of their sexual assault of a 4-year-old victim.
Paul Emerson Schofield, 35, and his wife, Sara Ellen Schofield, 31, both of Jefferson City, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes. Paul Schofield was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison without parole, while Sara Schofield was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced the Schofields to spend the rest of their lives on supervised release after incarceration.
On November 7, 2023, the Schofields each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography and one count of producing child pornography. Having been in federal custody without bond since their arrests in 2022, the Schofields admitted to participating in a conspiracy to produce child pornography over a nearly three-year period from July 29, 2019, to June 7, 2022, utilizing a 4-year-old victim.
The investigation began when law enforcement received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on April 25, 2022. Kik, a free online social media platform, reported a user later identified as Paul Schofield for uploading multiple videos of child sexual exploitation material.
Paul Schofield was active in the child pornography trading community, with multiple Kik chats discovered where he distributed and received child pornography and discussed child molestation.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Schofields’ residence on June 7, 2022. A forensic examination of Paul Schofield’s cell phone revealed several videos of child pornography, including footage of infants engaged in sexual contact with adults. Further examination found videos of both Paul and Sara Schofield sexually assaulting an unconscious 4-year-old victim.
On June 9, 2022, law enforcement executed another search warrant at the Schofields’ residence and seized Sara Schofield’s cell phone, which contained an additional sexually explicit video of the same 4-year-old victim with the voices of Paul and Sara Schofield audible.
At the time of the offense, Paul Schofield was employed as a corrections officer at the Jefferson City Correctional Center in Jefferson City.
Upon their release from prison, the Schofields will be required to register as sex offenders and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements for life.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Turner and investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Task Force and the FBI.
