KC Reporter

A Kansas City, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender pleaded guilty in federal court today to sharing child pornography over the internet and possessing more than 1,000 images and videos of child pornography.

Dennis Bruce Bean II, 44, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of transporting child pornography across state lines and one count of possessing child pornography.

Bean has a prior felony conviction for criminal sexual conduct and has been required to register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received three CyberTipline reports associated with Bean. In one of those reports, Google reported on Jan. 31, 2024, that approximately 1,442 files of child pornography had been uploaded to Bean’s Google Photos account during the previous two months.

On April 5, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bean’s residence. Bean was arrested after he was found hiding in the backyard. Officers seized two cell phones and a one-terabyte thumb drive. Investigators found at least 100 images and videos of child sexual abuse or child erotica on the phones. The thumb drive had more than 1,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse and child erotica.

Under federal statutes, Bean is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 3, 2024.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. 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."