Welker Sentenced to 179 Months in Prison

Cape Girardeau, Mo. (KFMO) - A Sedgewickville man, 40-year-old Justin Wade Welker, is headed to prison after being sentenced Tuesday to 179 months for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material.

Welker was caught after the FBI office in Detroit learned two people were discussing engaging in sex acts with a minor on the Kik messaging and chat app.

Officers traced one of the participants to Welker’s home in the Village of Sedgewickville. Agents approached Welker at work, and he admitted viewing child pornography via Kik. His phone also contained child sexual abuse material.

Welker pled guilty in U.S District Court in Cape Girardeau in August to one count of receipt of child pornography.