Home Child Abuse Man Gets 245 Years for Videotaping and Drugging Children

Man Gets 245 Years for Videotaping and Drugging Children

Man Gets 245 Years for Videotaping and Drugging Children


On November 6, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri announced that a man from Kansas City was sentenced to 245 years in prison for drugging and molesting a total of 13 children and videotaping some of the sexual abuse.  


David M. Ketchmark, the Acting US Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, stated: “We’re satisfied that an extremely dangerous sexual predator is guaranteed to spend the rest of his life in prison. . . .The serial abuser will never victimize another child for the rest of his life.”


Ketchmark admitted that the victims were between 6 and 13 years old, and he stated the abuse started in 1997.  All of the abuse occurred at his residence, and most of the videos were recorded in his basement.  


He told authorities that he gave the victims sleeping pills—even Ambien.  The pills were placed in ice cream and soda that he gave to the victims.  The victims were videotaped in bed as they were unconscious and subject to different kinds of molestation.  Edwards also admitted that he used his son to lure potential victims to his home.  He encouraged his son to have sleepovers, and some of the victims remember having ice cream eating contests at his home.  


Government evidence indicates that Edwards had videos, pictures, and documents on his computer that related to the molestations.  Authorities also found a document called “How to Molest Young Girls” that gave instructions about specific dosage amounts for children and more.  


Edward was caught by authorities after two different stings in May and June of 2009.  The FBI, the Independence Police Department, and the Heart of America Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory were in charge of the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Fincham was in charge of prosecution.  


Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation