SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that two Exeter, Mo., men have pleaded guilty to charges of child exploitation and child pornography.

Nicholas Bee, 23, and his brother, Stephen Bee, 34, both of Exeter, have pleaded guilty to the charges contained in a Nov. 9, 2010, federal indictment.

Nicholas Bee pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard E. Dorr today to receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet between Oct. 1, 2008, and Oct. 7, 2010.

Stephen Bee pleaded guilty on June 21, 2011, to exploiting a child victim to produce child pornography on Sept. 5, 2010.

Under federal statutes, Nicholas Bee is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to 15 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000. Stephen Bee is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to 30 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force.

Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Return to Top