A former deputy sheriff from Phelps County was indicted on charges that accuse him of soliciting and possessing child pornography and is expected to appear in U.S. District Court in St. Louis.
Justin Bradley Durham, 42, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of sexual exploitation of children, two counts of possession of child pornography, and two counts of altering or destroying records. The indictment says that between roughly December 2013 and December 2014, Durham induced and enticed an underage girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct and record it. Durham possessed explicit images of the girl during those same dates, the indictment says, as well as a second girl between about Dec. 9, 2017, and July 2, 2018. The final charges relate to the accusation that Durham deleted files in his DropBox account and destroyed his iPhone to impede an FBI investigation.
A motion seeking to have Durham held in jail until trial says he offered the first victim money for explicit pictures and later paid her $200 to come to his house, where they engaged in sexual activity. Durham met the second victim when he responded to a call for police assistance, the motion says.
During the investigation, additional women have come forward with allegations about Durham, including allegations involving his demands for sex or sexually explicit images after making traffic stops. Anyone with information about Dunham should call the FBI at 314-589-2500.
“If a victim of police misconduct does not want to report the alleged abuse to the department where the officer works, the victim should contact the FBI directly,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Sworn officers who taint the badge are the exception and not the rule. One of the FBI’s priorities is to root out the few to protect victims and the public’s trust in law enforcement.”
Charges outlined in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The sexual exploitation of children charge carries a penalty of at least 15 years in prison. The child pornography charges each carry a penalty of between 5 and 20 years in prison, and the altering or destroying records charges each carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
