Gladstone couple pleads guilty to producing, distributing child porn

A Gladstone couple pleaded guilty in federal court March 9 to producing and distributing pornographic images of two child victims.

Joshua P. Goodspeed, 47, and his wife, Jennifer Goodspeed, 38, pleaded guilty in separate appearances before a U.S. District judge. Joshua pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography, one count of attempting to distribute child pornography over the internet and one count of receiving child porn over the internet. Jennifer pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to distribute child porn over the internet.

{a href=”https://www.mycouriertribune.com/news/gladstone-man-indicted-for-producing-distributing-child-porn/article_fad9c320-f398-11eb-ad8d-83da75acbd6f.html” target=”_blank”}Joshua was indicted in July 2021 by grand jury in Kansas City with one count of producing child pornography, which involved two child victims according to court documents, and one count of attempting to distribute child pornography over the internet.

According to the court, Joshua admitted he used two child victims to produce porn from Jan. 1, 2011 to March 12 of the following year.

“Goodspeed also admitted that he attempted to distribute child pornography on Nov. 17, 2020, and that he received child pornography over the internet on Feb. 29, 2012,” reads a release from the U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore’s office for the Western District of Missouri. “Jennifer Goodspeed admitted that she attempted to distribute an image of child pornography over the internet on Feb. 29, 2012.”

Joshua pleaded guilty without a plea agreement, according to the court. His wife however, did take a plea deal. According to her plea agreement, an FBI undercover investigation identified a social media file-sharing platform that was “knowingly accessing, importing and maintaining video files that depicted the sadistic sexual exploitation, torture and abuse of a toddler.” Joshua was linked to an account on the social media site.

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On June 16, 2012, the FBI executed a search warrant at the Goodspeeds’ residence. Agents seized Joshua’s cellphone, laptop and a computer hard drive. They also interviewed him and his wife. According to the plea agreement, both admitted they took nude photos of two child victims.

“Jennifer told investigators she sometimes sent some of the photos to her husband via cellphone or email while he was traveling,” states the U.S. Attorney’s office release.

According to court documents, forensic examiners found hundreds of images of child pornography on the devices seized by agents, including photos of the two child victims that were produced by the Gladstone couple.

Under federal law, Joshua is subject a minimum of 15 years in prison without parole and up to 70 years. Jennifer is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years without parole and up to 20 years.

“Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office,” stated the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District.

Under the terms of her plea deal, Jennifer must pay $5,000 in restitution to each of 12 victims or $3,000 to each victim if paid within 30 days of the sentencing hearing.