Poplar Bluff man gets nine years after pleading guilty to exploitation

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff man was sentenced to nearly a decade in prison this week after pleading guilty to the sexual exploitation of two local teenagers by having them expose themselves so he could videotape them.

Ronald L. Vaughn pleaded guilty Tuesday to the felony of sexual exploitation of a minor before Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett during what was supposed to be a pretrial conference in his case.

Originally charged with two felonies of sexual exploitation of a minor, Vaughn's trial was set for Nov. 16.

After accepting Vaughn's plea, Pritchett followed the state's recommendation in sentencing the 54-year-old to nine years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

Vaughn entered his plea after Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Barbour filed an amended information with the court.

Authorities say in May, Vaughn "knowingly created child pornography of a person less than 18 years of age by having" the victim expose herself and "videotaping her to create obscene material."

The alleged victims, two 13-year-old girls, reported to Poplar Bluff police officers that Vaughn "would coax them into disrobing in front of the camera."

Officers also discovered Vaughn allegedly was surreptitiously recording the victims in his home using the bathroom and while they were changing clothes.

The case's outcome was the result of a plea bargain, said Barbour, who described the case as lacking physical evidence.

Vaughn, Barbour said, found out his alleged actions had been reported to authorities and destroyed the videotapes.

"We made the offer because ... no (videos) were found of the victims involved," said Assistant Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Oesterreicher, who negotiated the plea. "They had been destroyed before the police got there, so we decided nine years seemed to be the best resolution in this case."

According to Barbour, Vaughn will have to do "most all" of his sentence before he is eligible to be released on parole.

Vaughn also will have to complete the Missouri Sexual Offenders Program, and will have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison, he said.

Pertinent address:

Poplar Bluff, MO