Monett man pleads guilty to possessing obscene cartoons - Monett Times

A Monett man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Springfield to possessing cartoons that depicted child pornography.

Christjan Bee, 36, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. England to possessing obscenity.

On Aug. 8, 2011, Bee's wife contacted the Monett Police Department and reported that she had found files she believed to be child pornography on a computer used by her husband. Police officers executed a search warrant at Bee's residence and seized his computer.

During the forensic examination of Bee's computer, a collection of electronic comics, entitled "incest comics," were discovered on the computer. These comics contained multiple images of minors engaging in graphic sexual intercourse with adults and other minors.

"The depictions clearly lack any literary, artistic, political or scientific value," according to a statement by David Ketchmack, U.S. attorney for the Western District.

Under the terms of today's plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence of three years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force and the Monett Police Department.

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.