Nevada man in federal custody on exploitation charges

A Nevada, Mo., man in federal custody has been denied bail while awaiting a federal indictment on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor.

On July 30, at approximately 11:30 p.m., the Nevada Police Department (NPD) received a report indicating that a 9-year-old female child had been sexually exploited by 75-year-old Jimmy Lee Overton at his residence on North Washington Street in Nevada, Mo.

According to a criminal complaint from the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Overton “did and attempt to employ, use, persuade, induce, entice and coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct, which visual depiction was produced using materials that had been mailed, shipped, and transported in interstate and foreign commerce, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) and (e).”

Investigators were advised that a relative of the 9-year-old went to Overton's residence looking for the minor. The relative was informed by Overton that the child was located in a spare bedroom of the residence. The relative walked into the room and reportedly discovered the minor lying naked on the bed, with multiple sexual devices arrayed around the child.

The child's relatives provided NPD with the minor's cell phone and permitted the officers to search the phone. After receiving consent to search the child's phone, the NPD searched the device and discovered image and video files depicting the child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

On the morning of July 31, members of the NPD contacted Overton at his residence, where he was taken into custody. Members of the NPD also executed a search warrant issued for Overton's residence, resulting in the seizure of Overton's cell phone and other electronic storage devices.

At approximately 9:30 a.m., the NPD requested FBI assistance in the investigation of Overton. At approximately 10:51 a.m., a recorded interview was conducted between Overton and an FBI agent at the Nevada Police Department. After being advised of his Miranda Rights, Overton confessed that he had encouraged the child to record image and video files of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Overton stated that the child would sometimes utilize her cell phone to record herself, and then send the files to Overton at his request. He further advised that the child used his cell phone to record sexually explicit images and video at his request. Overton also confessed to persuading the child to do other sexually explicit acts. He acknowledged that he had been sexually abusing the child for approximately two months.

Overton, according to the criminal complaint, violated Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a), that is, sexual exploitation of a minor. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office (Western District of Missouri) Public Affairs Officer Don Ledford, Overton appeared for a detention hearing on Tuesday, Aug. 8. This hearing involved the government requesting that Overton be detained without bond. The court granted this and Overton remains in federal custody. The next step in the case, according to Ledford, is that the criminal complaint will be presented to a federal grand jury for indictment.

In a phone conversation the Nevada Daily Mail had with Nevada Police Chief Casey Crain, he noted that the investigation was a multi-agency effort involving the NPD, FBI and the Joplin Cyber Crime Unit (Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force).

Information pertaining to the status of the victim was not available at press time.