Former St. Charles County Youth Hockey Coach Admits Recording Sexual Abuse of Two Minors

ST. LOUIS – A former youth hockey coach on Wednesday admitted sexually abusing two minors and recording that abuse.

James R. Lambert , 42, of Lake St. Louis, admitted sexually abusing one victim over 50 times between 2007 and 2018, when the victim was between the ages of 6 and 17 years old. The sexual abuse occurred in St. Charles County, Missouri and in other states and foreign countries where the victim was taken by Lambert. Lambert also recorded his sexual abuse of the victim on numerous occasions.

Lambert also admitted sexually abusing a second victim in St. Charles and St. Louis counties when that victim was between 6 and 9 years old. 

When the first victim came forward and reported Lambert’s sexual abuse, he also reported his suspicions that Lambert was abusing the second victim. Investigators later found hundreds of files on Lambert’s electronic devices documenting his abuse of the second victim. They also found at least 1,185 files containing child sexual abuse material that Lambert obtained online.

Lambert pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of production of child pornography, one count of transporting a minor across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity, one count of receiving child pornography and one count of aggravated sexual abuse.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson will ask for 50 years in prison, the plea agreement says.  

Anyone with information regarding possible additional victims is asked to contact the Lake St. Louis Police Department by calling 636-625-8018 or emailing policetips@lakesaintlouis.com.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Lake St. Louis Police Department, the St. Charles County Cybercrime Task Force and the Maryland Heights Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.

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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.justice.gov/psc.