April 5, 2023 - ST. LOUIS – A man from California pleaded guilty to a federal charge in St. Louis, Missouri Wednesday and admitted sending pictures of his genitals to a Missouri teen.

Colin M. Lind, 43, of San Diego County, California, met the 15-year-old girl and her family while he and his family were on vacation in Florida in the summer of 2001. After returning to Missouri, the teenage girl began receiving text messages from Lind. Lind admitted as part of his plea agreement sending a series of messages asking for pictures of the girl. He also sent two pictures of his genitals that he had taken in a hotel bathroom and a text saying, “you turn me on so much!!”

The teen told authorities that Lind placed his hand on her genitals while they were in Florida.

Lind pleaded guilty to a felony count of transfer of obscene material to a minor.

Lind is scheduled to be sentenced July 20. The crime carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Frontenac Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting 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 the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
Source: DOJ Release