Audrain County Prosecuting Attorney Jacob Shellabarger announces that Jennifer Huddleston, 35, of Barnhart, has pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and promotion of child pornography in the first degree, for events occurring in March of 2018 in Audrain and Jefferson counties. 

Huddleston entered her pleas of guilty and admitted she committed the crimes against a female child during the plea hearing this morning in the Circuit Court of Audrain County with 14th Circuit Judge Scott Hayes. Hayes sentenced Huddleston to serve 15 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Huddleston was convicted and sentenced in 2023 for federal crimes relating to child sexual abuse material.

 “Jennifer Huddleston committed truly disgusting acts against a seven-year-old child.” Shellabarger said. “For committing these acts, photographing them, and sharing and downloading images of child sexual abuse, our community must speak loudly and with one voice: this will not be tolerated. Those who cannot defend themselves need a community to stand for them, and Audrain County did.”

Shellabarger gave credit to those who put their time into the investigation and ultimate conviction.

 “This case took thousands of hours of work from investigating officers at the Missouri Department of Social Services State Technical Assistance Team (STAT) and their forensic computer and data analysts at the Missouri Digital Forensics Center,” Shellabarger said. “These officers went above and beyond their case to identify the child they saw being abused by Huddleston in the photos, ensure the child’s safety, and place Huddleston under arrest for these crimes. It took place within a number of hours, and there was nothing like the relief the team felt when we heard that the child was in a safe, secure home and Huddleston was in custody. I could name each and every investigator that worked on this case as a relentless defender of children, and someone who helped save this child from continued exploitation.

“A clear message has been sent to abusers in our community and in Missouri: we will find you, we will thoroughly investigate your case, and you will be prosecuted fully, fairly and without hesitation,” Shellabarger said. 

Shellabarger added that while Huddleston is also facing 179 months in federal prison for those federal crimes, it was important to all of those on the case that she be held accountable for what she did to this child.

“The cooperative approach to working child abuse & neglect cases yields better results for victims,” Shellabarger said. “This case brought together multiple state and federal agencies, including STAT, Children’s Division, the Missouri Digital Forensic Center, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Eastern Missouri, and my office to provide a clear, consistent and thorough investigation and prosecution with the safety of this child first. The amount of forensic data in this case was nearly overwhelming. It is the team concept of experience, knowledge and combined resources allowed this case to be fully investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and allowing justice to prevail for this child and our State.” Huddleston’s co-defendant, William Dahl, remains in custody pending trial on charges in Audrain and Randolph counties. 

Jennifer Huddleston’s case number is 21AU-CR00267-01.