Raymond Cody Scott, 34, was arrested on March 10 and now faces 15 criminal counts after investigators say child sexual abuse material was uploaded and shared from a home in St. James. The case has left him held on a $500,000 bond, with a bond hearing set for Friday at 8 a.m. The charges include eight counts of promoting child pornography and seven counts of possession. According to court documents, Scott invoked his right not to speak further when confronted, and a friend later denied knowing about devices that investigators say were used for the material.
According to ABC17, the Phelps County Prosecuting Attorney filed the charges after an investigation that began in February, when more than a dozen tips came in to the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Court records allege investigators traced uploads to an account used at Scott’s home and say that in October 2025 he offered to trade for child sexual abuse material involving minors ages 8 to 13. A probable cause statement and a task force release filed with the court form the basis for the indictment.
How Investigators Say the Case Unfolded
The Missouri ICAC lists the South Central Missouri Computer Crime Task Force, which covers Dent, Phelps and surrounding counties, among its regional affiliates. A Missouri Department of Public Safety release explains that regional units often open probes after digital tips from tech companies or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, then rely on forensic analysis and other investigative work to locate and seize alleged evidence.
Charges, Statutes and What They Mean
Scott’s counts fall under Missouri’s child pornography laws, including RSMo §573.025 for promoting and RSMo §573.037 for possession. Those statutes distinguish degrees of promoting and classify possession by the form and quantity of material alleged. According to the statute pages, promoting first degree material and certain possession offenses are charged as higher class felonies. State sentencing guidance and court summaries place a Class B felony in roughly a 5 to 15 year sentencing range, with lower classes carrying lesser maximum terms.
What’s Next
Scott remains in custody while prosecutors prepare the case, and the matter is expected to return to circuit court after the bond hearing. Authorities have not publicly identified any victims. At this stage, court records and the task force release are the principal sources of the allegations.
