U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, sentenced O’Fallon resident Jacob J. Hampton to 25 years in federal prison after prosecutors said he hid a camera in a bathroom and recorded his sexual abuse of an 8-year-old girl. Hampton, 33, had pleaded guilty in January 2025 to production and receipt of child pornography, and investigators said they later found images and videos of the abuse on his phone. The case played out in federal court in St. Louis and drew in both local and federal cybercrime teams.
The 25-year term was imposed in St. Louis federal court after prosecutors and defense attorneys said they would jointly recommend that sentence, according to FOX 2. Local reporting notes that the U.S. Attorney’s Office publicly announced the judgment after the hearing.
How prosecutors say it happened
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, investigators first learned that Hampton had child sexual abuse material stored online. They then uncovered videos that showed him placing a hidden camera in a bathroom to record an 8-year-old. The release says police later recovered additional images on Hampton’s phone that showed him abusing the child.
Investigation and prosecution
The FBI, the St. Charles County Police Department and the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force handled the investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case, according to both local coverage and the government’s statement. RiverBender republishes the U.S. Attorney’s announcement and notes that Judge Autrey imposed the sentence.
Legal note
Hampton pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography, federal crimes that carry potential multi-decade prison terms and supervised-release requirements, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office press release. The plea agreement states that both sides agreed to recommend a 25-year prison sentence to the court.
The victim’s identity remains shielded in court records. Federal prosecutors said the case highlights ongoing efforts to identify and prosecute people who create and distribute child sexual abuse material. For local readers, the outcome underscores how child-exploitation investigations often rely on multiple agencies working together to find victims and secure digital evidence.
