Federal prosecutors have charged a Springfield man with one count of producing child pornography. The case was filed in St. Louis.
Michael William Mohr, 54, has served as the president of the Central Illinois District of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. His photo is no longer on the staff page of the district's website. Mohr will be held in jail until trial after waiving his right to a detention hearing.
The affidavit in support of the complaint alleges that a court-approved search of Mohr’s home in Springfield found storage devices that contained videos of three juveniles in the bathroom. A search of a residence used by Mohr in Vandalia uncovered a hidden camera disguised as a wall clock and one disguised as a Bluetooth speaker, the affidavit says.
The investigation began after one of the juveniles told the Vandalia Police Department that he discovered a camera disguised as an electronic device charger in a hotel bathroom the morning after Mohr stood above him and masturbated, the affidavit says.
A charge set forth in a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI. Submit information via tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).
FBI St. Louis and St. Louis County Police investigated the case with assistance from FBI Springfield (Illinois) and the Vandalia Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
