St. Louis County Man Admits Statutory Rape of Foster Child

ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Tuesday admitted impregnating a minor and sexually abusing her when she was in foster care.

Edward Wiseman, 43, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two felonies: coercion and enticement of a minor and solicitation of child pornography. He admitted sexually abusing a minor for multiple years and impregnating her when she was 14. After she was placed in foster care, Wiseman sent her naked pictures of himself and requested the same from her and met her to have sex when she was 16.

He initially lied to authorities when questioned about the rape and impregnation of the girl.

That victim’s younger sister told authorities that Wiseman had also sexually abused her. Wiseman disputes those allegations.

Law enforcement officers later found child pornography on Wiseman’s phone.

At his August 4 sentencing, Wiseman could face at least 10 years and up to life in prison for the coercion charge and at least five years and up to 20 years for the child pornography charge. Wiseman is also facing charges including statutory rape and statutory sodomy in St. Louis County Circuit Court.

The U.S. Secret Service, the North County Police Cooperative and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. 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.