Bastrop Man to Spend 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

AUSTIN, Texas - A Bastrop man was sentenced in federal court to 300 months in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to court documents, Stuart Mitchell Pieper, 41, was a member of a private chat group on a social networking application. In July and August 2023, Pieper used the account to post multiple images depicting the sexual abuse of children. Pieper also discussed, in the group chat and in direct messages, how he was "grooming" female children for sexual activity.

A search warrant executed on Aug. 12, 2023 resulted in the seizure of phones and laptops. A preliminary search of Pieper's cell phone revealed images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. Pieper was arrested that day by state authorities in Bastrop County and was transferred into federal custody on Nov. 13, 2023. He was indicted for one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and pleaded guilty to the charge on April 18, 2024.

The FBI and Bastrop County Sheriff's Office investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Franklin County District Attorney's Office and the New Albany Police Department in Ohio.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Cohen prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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