Franklin County Man Convicted of Federal Child Pornography and Drug Charges

St. Louis, Missouri: Andrew Charles Kain was convicted of federal child pornography and drug charges, United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway and Franklin County Sheriff Gary Toelke announced today.

“Mr. Kain possessed numerous images of child pornography on his computer in March 2006, in Franklin County, and was found to be in possession of a significant quantity of marijuana within 1000 feet of a public school,” said Hanaway. “Nothing we do is more important than protecting children from predators, and we can only make these cases when we have the commitment of local law enforcement such as Sheriff Toelke and his Department.”

“I would like to thank Ms. Hanaway and her office for their invaluable assistance in helping our office in enforcing the laws that protect our children,” said Sheriff Toelke.

ANDREW CHARLES KAIN, Washington, Missouri, was convicted of one felony count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of a school and one felony count of possession of child pornography. Kain was found guilty after a bench trial before United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel.

The marijuana charge carries a penalty range of one to 80 years in prison; the child pornography charge carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and/or a fine of $250,000. Sentencing has been set for August 22, 2008.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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/.

In addition to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, Hanaway commended the work performed on the case by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Regional Computer Crimes Education and Enforcement Group, and Assistant United States Attorneys Tiffany Becker and Carrie Costantin, who are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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