El Dorado Springs woman sentenced to 18 years for sexual exploitation of a child, making child pornography

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

An El Dorado Springs, Missouri, woman and a North Plainfield, New Jersey, man were sentenced in federal court today for producing child pornography.

Amanda Errin Hunt, 41, and Daniel Thomas Baggott, 38, each were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 18 years and four months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Hunt and Baggott to spend the rest of their lives on supervised release following incarceration. They will be required to register as sex offenders upon their release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout their lives.

On Oct. 21, 2019, Baggott pleaded guilty to one count of child sexual exploitation and one count of the coercion and enticement of a minor. On Sept. 16, 2019, Hunt also pleaded guilty to one count of child sexual exploitation and one count of the coercion and enticement of a minor.

The investigation began when Facebook initiated a CyberTip with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on April 7, 2019. Facebook reported that Hunt and Baggott exchanged images of child pornography through Facebook Messenger. Investigators also discovered sexually explicit messages, along with shared images of child pornography, between Hunt, Baggott, and the 15-year-old victim, identified in court documents as “Jane Doe.”

Baggott admitted that he met Hunt and Jane Doe through PlayStation Home approximately 12 years ago. The first time he went to visit them in El Dorado Springs was approximately six or seven years ago. Baggott admitted to requesting sexually explicit images and videos of Jane Doe. He stated this started approximately a year and a half ago and it became a regular occurrence.

Hunt admitted to taking sexually explicit images of Jane Doe and asking Jane Doe to take sexually explicit images that Baggott requested. Hunt also admitted to sending Baggott the sexually explicit images of Jane Doe and engaging in the sexual chat messages in Facebook Messenger with Baggott regarding Jane Doe. Hunt advised that Baggott had come to Missouri at least once a year since 2014.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Southwest Missouri Cybercrime Task Force, and the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.