AUSTIN, Texas — A Bastrop man will spend 25 years in federal prison after he was convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor.
The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) said court documents show 41-year-old Stuart Mitchell Pieper was a member of a private chat group on a social media app. In July and August of last year, Pieper used the account to post multiple images that depicted the sexual abuse of children. The documents also state that Pieper discussed, in both the group chat and in direct messages, that he was "grooming" female children for sexual activity.
The DOJ said through a search warrant executed on Aug. 12, investigators seized phones and laptops. A preliminary search of Pieper's phone revealed images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.
Pieper was arrested the same day by state authorities in Bastrop County and was transferred to federal custody on Nov. 13. He was indicted for one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and pleaded guilty to that charge on April 18, 2024.
He was sentenced to 300 months, or 25 years, in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bastrop County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Franklin County District Attorney's Office and the New Albany Police Department in Ohio. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Cohen.