PRESS RELEASE

Former Law Enforcement Officer Sentenced to 30 Years for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

Monday, November 13, 2023

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Crane, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for sexually exploiting a child.

Jeffrey Prowant, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Prowant to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration. Prowant will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

Prowant was a Kansas City, Mo., police officer from 2000 to 2002 and a Monroe County, Michigan, sheriff’s deputy from 2002 to 2005.

On Nov. 16, 2022, Prowant pleaded guilty to the sexual exploitation of a child. Prowant admitted that he engaged in online conversations via the Kik application with an undercover FBI employee. During those online conversations, Prowant shared pornographic images of a 14-year-old victim with whom he claimed to be sexually active. Prowant offered to meet the undercover FBI employee in person to engage in illegal sexual activity.

On Sept. 29, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Prowant’s residence. Prowant delayed answering the front door for nine minutes, during which time he deleted the Kik application and a folder containing suspicious images.

The 14-year-old child victim told investigators that Prowant had sexually assaulted her and confirmed that he took pornographic photos of her.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Stone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

Updated November 13, 2023