A Poplar Bluff man was arrested Tuesday for promoting and possession of child pornography.
Joshua D. McKnight, 46, is being held in the Butler County jail on a $100,000 bond, following an investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol..
The investigation was conducted by the Special Victims Unit of the MSHP’s Division of Drug and Crime Control.
“In March 2024, while conducting an online child pornography investigation, investigators ... identified a device associated with the internet account of Joshua D. McKnight, which had distributed digital files identified as child pornography,” the patrol reported in a press release.
Investigators executed a Butler County search warrant Tuesday at the home of McKnight.
“During the search, investigators found digital files of child pornography, located on electronic devices, inside the residence,” troopers reported. “McKnight was arrested and transported to the Butler County Jail, where he was held, pending the filing of formal charges.”
The Butler County prosecuting attorney formally charged McKnight on Wednesday with three counts of possession of child pornography and one count of promoting child pornography.