Missouri man indicted in federal court for producing child pornography

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A federal grand jury indictment was unsealed Tuesday announcing charges against a southwestern Missouri man for producing child pornography.

This indictment resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the St. Mary’s County (Maryland) Sheriff’s Department.

Brett Corcoran, 25, of Ava, Missouri, was charged in an indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield Sept. 30. That indictment was unsealed and made public Tuesday upon Corcoran’s arrest and initial court appearance. Corcoran remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing Oct. 8.

Law enforcement in Maryland initially contacted HSI offices based on an investigative lead that ultimately resulted in Corcoran’s indictment. The federal indictment alleges that Corcoran used a minor victim to produce child pornography between Jan. 1 and May 13, 2015.

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

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 12,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2014, more than 2,300 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI’s Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page. HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.