A man from Wayne County, Missouri on Tuesday admitted making recordings of his sex acts with minors.
Tony Ray Waites, 46, of Piedmont, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor. He admitted that in March of 2022, an 11-year-old boy reported that Waites had sexually abused him on several occasions and that he believed that Waites had filmed the abuse. A court-approved search of Waites’ home discovered electronic devices that contained videos of Waites abusing that victim, Waites’ plea says. There were also videos depicting nine other boys. Some were abused by Waites, others were filmed naked.
Waites is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 6, 2024. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester is prosecuting the case.
