Missouri Man Molested Two Minor Girls and Recorded Abuse for Pleasure; Sent to Jail for Heinous Crimes but Left Victims Traumatized
A St. Charles man has been handed a lengthy prison sentence by a federal judge on Friday. The individual was found guilty of committing heinous acts of sexual abuse against two children over an extended period of time, while also documenting the abuse.
A sentence has been issued by U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk for Ronald Lawrence, a 25-year-old individual. This comes after Lawrence pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to the production, distribution, and receiving of child pornography.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, the mother of the victims addressed the court during the hearing. She expressed how Lawrence had devastated their lives and shattered the trust they once had in him.
The release states that Lawrence engaged in long-term sexual abuse of the two girls, documenting the abuse and distributing the images to others on the internet. He was found to have disturbing content involving minors and encouraged other children to produce and share similar material.
In June 2022, Lawrence was arrested in St. Charles following an investigation by authorities. This investigation ultimately led to the rescue of one of the children, who was 8 years old at the time. She was placed in protective custody after a search warrant was executed as per FirstAlert.
According to court records, Lawrence is still facing multiple counts of child sex crimes in St. Charles County. There are several serious charges, including felony counts of child molestation, statutory sodomy, rape, and sexual misconduct.
A plea hearing has been scheduled for July 24 in the St. Charles County case.
