2 days ago
Former Branson marketing executive pleads guilty to child pornography charge
BRANSON, Mo. — A Branson man who was formerly a businessman pleaded guilty to a child pornography charge in federal court last week.
Thomas Eldon Forster, 66, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography.
According to federal documents, the charges came from an investigation that began in October of 2020 when social media platform Kik submitted a cyber tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating that a user uploaded or shared 15 files of suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to another Kik user.
Investigators determined Forster was the suspect responsible for the Kik account.
In August of 2022, law enforcement with Homeland Security Investigations and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force executed a federal search warrant at Forster's Taney County residence.
Law enforcement interviewed Forster and searched his cellphone, where they found 19 unique images depicting CSAM
According to the Greene County Jail roster, Forster was booked last week.
If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
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