ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A 75-year-old Fenton man is facing child pornography and enticement charges, and investigators believe there may be more victims.
On Wednesday, Robert Payne was charged with one count of solicitation of child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor after an investigation sparked by citizen complaints.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said investigators started investigating Payne after getting complaints he was at Fenton City Park. While observing him, police said he repeatedly tried to get boys to get into his red, 2001 Ford Ranger pickup truck.
Police then had an officer "bearing a youthful appearance" go to the basketball courts undercover at the park. Payne started talking to the undercover officer, and when the officer told Payne he was 16, Payne solicited sexual contact anyway. Payne continued to solicit the officer through email conversations after the officer left the park.
Police reviewed security video from the park and found Payne was on the parking lot every day from March 1-4, and repositioned his car more than a dozen times on one day to get better views of parts of the park.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, police in Velda City, Sunset Hills and Jefferson County have also investigated incidents relating to Payne.
The press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office said detectives believe there may be additional victims in the area. Detectives are asking anyone who has knowledge of further offenses committed by Robert Payne to contact St. Louis County Police Detectives at 314-615-4692.
