A Belton, Missouri, man whose lost cell phone containing child pornography was found at a truck stop, pleaded guilty in federal court.
Christopher Lee Caven, 39, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Maughmer to receiving child pornography over the internet.
By pleading guilty, Caven admitted that he used his cell phone to receive child pornography via Kik, an online sharing application.
Caven’s cell phone was found at the Flying J Truck Plaza in Peculiar, Missouri, on March 5, 2017. The person who found the cell phone was unable to locate the owner and attempted to conduct a factory reset of the phone in order to set it up for his own use. In the process, however, he discovered a large amount of child pornography in the photo folder and contacted law enforcement.
Investigators found 402 video files of child pornography and 302 images of child pornography on Caven’s cell phone. Many of the images depicted children as young as toddlers posed in sexual positions or being sexually violated by others.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, the government and Caven agree to recommend to the court a sentence between 15 years and 18 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
