Lohman Man Faces Federal Charges Involving Child Pornography

A Lohman man faces a three-count federal indictment after allegedly producing and sending a video and a picture of a child being sexually assaulted to an undercover officer.

The U.S. Attorney Western District of Missouri says that 30-year-old Anthony Pitts-Fugate is charged with one count each of producing, distributing and possessing child pornography.

The indictment was returned on Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Kansas City.

The complaint charges that Pitts-Fugate was engaged in a Kik chat group when he sent the video and picture to the undercover officer.

Pitts-Fugate remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing.

**Press Release**

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lohman, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today on charges related to producing child pornography.

Anthony D. Pitts-Fugate, 30, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a criminal complaint filed against Pitts-Fugate on April 17, 2023.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original federal criminal complaint, Pitts-Fugate engaged in a Kik chat group that was being monitored by an undercover law enforcement officer. Pitts-Fugate allegedly produced and sent to the undercover officer a video and a photo of a child being sexually assaulted.

Pitts-Fugate was arrested at his residence on April 17, 2023, and remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing.

Today’s indictment charges Pitts-Fugate with one count of producing child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the FBI, the Cole County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

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.”