Joplin Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Child Porn

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Joplin, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet.

David Michel McCowan, 26, of Joplin, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole, which is the longest sentence recommended under the federal sentencing guidelines. The court also ordered McCowan to serve a lifetime of supervised release following incarceration.

On Oct. 9, 2014, McCowan pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet.

According to court documents, an officer with the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force identified McCowan’s computer as utilizing a peer-to-peer file-sharing program to download and share child pornography over the Internet. Officers executed a search a warrant and seized McCowan’s computer, which contained images of child pornography.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."