KC Reporter

Former corrections officer Paul Emerson Schofield and his wife Sara Ellen Schofield of Jefferson City have been sentenced to federal prison for producing child pornography, specifically recording their sexual assault of a 4-year-old victim. Paul Schofield was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison without parole, while Sara Schofield received a 35-year sentence in federal prison without parole.

The couple pleaded guilty to charges related to producing child pornography over a nearly three-year period from July 29, 2019, to June 7, 2022. The investigation into their activities began when law enforcement received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on April 25, 2022, which ultimately led to the discovery of their heinous crimes.

Paul Schofield, who was employed as a corrections officer at the Jefferson City Correctional Center at the time of the offense, was actively involved in the child pornography trading community, distributing and receiving child pornography as well as discussing child molestation through various online platforms.

Upon executing search warrants at the Schofields’ residence, law enforcement found evidence implicating both individuals in the production of child pornography, including videos of them sexually assaulting an unconscious 4-year-old victim. Sara Schofield's cell phone also contained explicit videos of the same victim, with the voices of both defendants audible in the background.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Turner prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Task Force and the FBI. The Schofields will be required to register as sex offenders upon release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements for life.

The case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, emphasizing the importance of identifying, rescuing victims, and prosecuting individuals who sexually exploit children.