Poplar Bluff man accused of enticement, child porn in Scott County sting operation

Editor's note: Update: Charges in the case against Jesse Vaughn were dismissed in November 2018.

Last week, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office issued an arrest warrant for Jesse Lee Vaughn of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, with charges of attempted enticement of a child and an attempt to possess child pornography after a sting operation.

On Thursday, he turned himself in to the sheriff’s office and posted bond, which was set at $25,000 cash or surety and the provision he have no contact with minors.

According to a probable-cause statement filed by sheriff’s detective Darrin Sides, Vaughn tried through the internet, text messages and phone calls to arrange a sexual encounter between a 14-year-old girl and her mother with the father present. He also tried to solicit nude photographs of the teen and her mother.

On Nov. 2, the probable-cause affidavit states, Vaughn responded to a Craigslist advertisement placed by undercover detectives titled “Taboo Family Fun — mw4m (semo).” After an initial response, Vaughn agreed he would meet the family at a hotel in Miner, Missouri. There, it was agreed, Vaughn would engage in intercourse with the woman and her daughter while the husband observed.

During the course of the investigation, Vaughn sent undercover officers photographs of his face and his genitals, as well as descriptions of the latter.

On two occasions, Vaughn asked the undercover officer who was posing as the wife to send him nude photographs of herself and of the 14-year-old, the affidavit states.

Vaughn never arrived at the hotel at the designated time but made “substantial steps toward completion” of the offenses, according to the affidavit, at one point saying he was within five minutes of the hotel.

Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said the operation was one of three involving human trafficking set up by the sheriff’s office. It’s a multibillion-dollar-a-year criminal industry, Walter said, that sees more than 100,000 children trafficked each year.

The other operations his office carried out, Walter said, were focused on identifying victims of human trafficking and trying to get them the services they need to get out of their situations.

Walter said the two victim-focused operations were successful in that the ads were answered and the sheriff’s office was able to talk with the women. But the women wouldn’t reveal who they were working for.

“They would admit they were working with someone, but they wouldn’t roll out their pimp,” he said.

In the case of Vaughn, “he said exactly what he wanted to do,” Walter said, and for his attempts, a warrant was issued.

Also, Vaughn was aware the attempted acts were illegal, Walter said.

In his affidavit, Sides noted Vaughn showed concern about being “set up” and said he “had a lot to lose” if he was caught.

An arraignment for Vaughn has been set for Wednesday.

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