A Missouri man from Arnold has pleaded guilty to attempting to coerce a minor into sexual activity following an online interaction that violated the law. Anthony Justin Snelson, 39, admitted to a federal offense—one count of attempted receipt of child pornography, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The case unfolded after Snelson engaged in what the authorities described as an "inappropriate conversation" on TikTok with a teenager who was just 16. The teenage victim's mother, after discovering the troubling exchange took the reins, impersonating her daughter in the communications. As the conversation escalated, Snelson requested a nude photo and proposed a physical meeting to "mess around," according to his guilty plea. On August 12, 2024, as a meeting was about to take place, the vigilant mother contacted the St. Louis County Police Department, leading to Snelson's arrest upon arrival at the agreed-upon location, U.S. Attorney's Office reported.
In a post-arrest interview, Snelson's own words added weight to the charges against him. "To maybe mess around," was the reason he gave for the rendezvous, as stated in the plea agreement. His admission to the plan for an illicit encounter has paved the way for his sentencing scheduled for September 30, where he faces a minimum of five years and a potential maximum of 20 years in prison, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
This case forms part of the broader initiative, Project Safe Childhood – an effort spearheaded by the Department of Justice since May 2006, to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The sweeping federal project utilizes resources from multiple levels of law enforcement to locate and prosecute predators, and, just as importantly, to identify and rescue their potential victims. Typically reserved, Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang is leading the prosecution, bolstered by joint investigations conducted by the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI.
