Smithville woman arrested after tip leads to child sex crimes investigation
SMITHVILLE, Mo. (KCTV) - A Smithville woman could spend up to three decades behind bars after a tip about possible child sex crimes led to her arrest.
The Clay County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office says that a 4-month investigation resulted in the arrest of 44-year-old Melissa Bottom, of Smithville, for the alleged possession of child pornography.
The Sheriff’s Office indicated that detectives served a search warrant on Thursday, April 24, at Bottom’s home in the area of NE Armory and Lora St. Investigators received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in December 2024.
Investigators said the user data reported in the tip led them to identify Bottom as the suspect. During the search of her home, law enforcement officials seized several electronic devices, on which multiple files were found that depicted child sexual abuse.
A probable cause statement filed by the Sheriff’s Office revealed that during an interview, Bottom admitted she had been watching child pornography for about six months. She claimed she received the child sexual abuse material from an individual, “Andrew,” from the St. Louis area.
Law enforcement officials said Bottom claimed the victims ranged in age from 2 to 17 years old. As a result, court documents revealed that Bottom has been charged with two counts of possession of child pornography.
An arraignment has been scheduled for 2 p.m. on Monday, April 28. As of Friday, April 25, Bottom remains behind bars on a $25,000 bond. If convicted, she could spend up to 30 years behind bars.
The Sheriff’s Office noted that it is part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, a network of 61 coordinated task forces that represent more than 5,400 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The program is dedicated to the investigation, prosecution and development of effective responses to crimes committed against children on the internet.
Law enforcement officials have urged anyone with information about suspected online crimes against children, child sexual abuse or child sex trafficking to report it to the Cyber Tipline online HERE or by phone at 1-800-THE-LOST.
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