Wappapello registered sex offender pleads guilty to possession of child pornography

A Wappapello man pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau on Tuesday, Nov. 26.

Thomas O. Stroud Jr., 43, was convicted for possession of child pornography in 2009. According to a U.S. Attorney's Office news release, Stroud was registered as a sex offender and was placed on a 40-year term of supervised release.

The release states Stroud's probation officer discovered he was using a cellphone to communicate with a person in Indiana, and Stroud retrieved images of child pornography amidst the communication. According to the release, Stroud admitted to obtaining those images at his plea hearing.

"He faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years for the new child pornography offense. Stroud also faces an additional sentence of up to 24 months for violating the terms of supervised release," the release states.

Stroud is scheduled for his sentencing hearing Feb. 25.