ST. LOUIS — A former Boy Scouts volunteer admitted in federal court on Thursday to hiding cameras in bathrooms at a St. Francois County scout camp.
David Lee Nelson, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of production of child sex abuse material and two counts of attempted production of child sex abuse material, according to a news release.
The Redmond, Washington, resident admitted he hid two cameras in bathrooms at the S bar F Scout Ranch in July 2021 while he was there as a volunteer. According to court records, Nelson hid cameras in paper towel dispensers and positioned them to capture the bathroom's interior, including a shower stall.
A Scout leader and Scouts were cleaning out a restroom stall when they found one of the cameras. They then found the second camera after a search, and Scout leaders called the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department.
Later in the day, a Scout leader saw Nelson near the bathrooms holding his cell phone and then walking into the stalls where the cameras had been hidden.
A sheriff's deputy questioned Nelson, who said he'd been looking for a cell phone charger he left in the stall after a shower. But Nelson's image was captured in videos he'd recorded with the hidden cameras, the release said.
Nelson agreed as part of a plea agreement to forfeit devices seized during the investigation, including computers, tablets, hard drives, other storage devices and the two digital cameras.
His sentencing is scheduled for April 25. He faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, followed by up to a life term of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department and the FBI, and it was brought as part of Project Safe Child, which is a U.S. Department of Justice initiative that combats the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse, according to the department's website.
Resources for crime victims
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
The Crime Victim Center of St. Louis has multiple programs to support victims of crime. Crime Victim Center’s programs range from direct services to crime victims as well as “creating awareness and change within the systems they encounter.”
Life Outside of Violence "helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence."
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has the Neighborhood Healing Network, which serves people who have experienced crime, violence or been the victim of an incident that caused trauma.
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