KC Reporter

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Darrin Marshall Skinner, a former Camden County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy and school resource officer previously charged with distributing child pornography, was indicted by a federal grand jury today on additional related charges. The 49-year-old was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City. This indictment replaces a criminal complaint filed against Skinner on Thursday, May 9, and includes additional charges.

Skinner was employed by Camden County as a deputy sheriff and assigned as a school resource officer in the Macks Creek School District. Before joining Camden County, he served as a police officer in Osage Beach, Mo.

The indictment contains the original charge of distributing child pornography. Additionally, it charges Skinner with one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

The investigation began when social media network MeWe reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Cyber Tip Line that a user, later identified as Skinner, had uploaded images of child pornography. On June 7, 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children forwarded the report to the Camden County Sheriff’s Department. Due to Skinner’s connection to the department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol took over the case.

Investigators discovered that an email address allegedly used by Skinner was associated with several sexually themed social groups. On Aug. 1, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Skinner's residence.

According to investigators' findings detailed in an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, MeWe had made another report to the Cyber Tip Line back in 2020 related to Skinner allegedly uploading multiple images of child sexual abuse through its chat feature. He is also alleged to have sent material depicting child sexual abuse on multiple occasions.

Skinner is also accused of sharing photos of prepubescent girls from his community with other users of the MeWe platform. He allegedly edited these images to be more sexually suggestive. However, no local minors were found in the images of child pornography. Investigators believe Skinner obtained some of these photos from social media, as they depicted minors in gymnastics or dance clothes associated with a local gymnastics studio.

The charges contained in this indictment are accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, which will determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Pierce and was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol Digital Forensic Investigative Unit and the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."