A Missouri man was indicted by a federal grand jury today on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a child victim.
Merle G. Daniels, 44, of Bolivar, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Daniels is a registered sex offender after having been previously convicted of statutory rape, two counts of statutory sodomy, and interference with custody in Greene County, Mo.
The indictment alleges that Daniels used a victim under the age of 16 to produce child pornography from Nov. 9 to Dec. 9, 2022. Daniels is also charged with one count of being a registered sex offender and committing a felony offense involving a minor, and one count of transferring obscene material to the child victim.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Polk County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
