A St. Louis County man, Tyler Jacob Staub, has pleaded guilty to charges of possession of child pornography and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Staub, 24, admitted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to recording his sexual activity with a 13-year-old and possessing the drug.
Staub waived his right to be indicted and accepted a plea agreement that included an admission of engaging in sexual acts with the minor and documenting these on his phone.
The case began on June 22, 2023, when the St. Charles County Police Department received a report about a missing 13-year-old girl. The girl’s parents indicated she might be with someone driving a red or black Ford Mustang. Officers located such a vehicle near the victim’s home and found Staub inside with the girl. They also discovered a Glock pistol, an AR-style pistol, and two bags containing fentanyl tablets.
Investigations revealed that the victim had met Staub online via Snapchat about two months prior and had been meeting him in person for several weeks.
Staub is scheduled for sentencing on September 24. The child pornography charge could result in up to 10 years in prison, fines up to $250,000, or both. The fentanyl charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and could extend up to 40 years, along with fines reaching $5 million.
The investigation was conducted by the St. Charles County Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang is leading the prosecution.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through collaboration among federal, state, and local resources.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
