Hopper, Longhibler indicted for child porn

CAPE GIRARDEAU — A former Poplar Bluff police officer and a local woman made their initial appearances in federal court earlier this week after their recent indictment on child pornography charges.

Brandon Michael Hopper, 39, and Amber Michelle Longhibler, 27, appeared separately before U.S. Magistrate Judge Abbie Crites-Leoni on their two-count indictments, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester.

The indictments charge Hopper and Longhibler with the felonies of sexual exploitation of a child (production of child pornography) and receipt and distribution of child pornography, Koester said.

Hopper appeared Thursday in front of Crites-Leoni, who set his arraignment and detention hearing for Tuesday, Koester said.

Longhibler made her initial appearance on Friday morning before Crites-Leoni, Koester said.

During that appearance, Longhibler was arraigned, and an attorney was appointed to represent her, Koester said.

Longhibler’s detention hearing also was held, and the government is asking that she be detained, Koester said.

“The judge hasn’t ruled on it yet, but I’m expecting a ruling in a few days,” Koester said. There is no date set for Longhibler’s next court appearance.

The indictments alleged between Jan. 1, 2018, to Feb. 26, Hopper and Longhibler “did knowingly employ and use ‘minor female No. 1’ to engage in a sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct … and such visual depictions were produced … by any means, including a computer.”

The indictment further alleges during the same time frame, Hopper and Longhibler “knowingly received and distributed, and attempted to receive and distribute, visual depictions of child pornography … by any means, including by computer.”

As codefendants, Koester said, Hopper and Longhibler are charged with aiding and abetting each other in the offenses.

If Hopper and Longhibler are convicted, Koester said, the punishment range for the production charge is a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in federal prison up to a maximum of 30 years and a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years on the distribution charge.

Hopper and Longhibler were transferred from state custody to federal authorities earlier this week.

They had been held without bond in county jails since their arrests on Feb. 26 by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

A nearly 10-year veteran of the police department, Hopper was terminated after his arrest.

Both he and Longhibler are charged in Butler County with the unclassified felony of first-degree sexual trafficking of a child, the Class B felony of first-degree promoting child pornography and two Class D felonies of possession of child pornography.

Longhibler is charged with two additional Class D felonies of possession of child pornography.

The state charges stem from an investigation by the patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control.

The investigation was initiated at the request of police Chief Danny Whiteley after the department received a cyber tip involving a member of the department.

During the ensuing investigation, Hopper was contacted at his rural Butler County residence and interviewed by investigators, according to patrol Sgt. Jeremy Weadon’s probable-cause affidavits.

“He admitted to having child pornography on his cellular telephone,” Weadon said. “His cellular telephone was seized and searched.

“Child pornography was located on the device.”

Weadon said he previewed two of the child pornography videos. Both videos reportedly depicted young girls in sexually explicit conduct.

“During the interview, he admitted to investigators he had sent and received child pornography online with Amber Longhibler,” Weadon said.

Longhibler, he said, also was interviewed.

“ … she admitted to taking nude photos of an 11-year-old female child,” Weadon said. “She said she took the photos at Hopper’s request and would send them to Hopper over the internet.”

Investigators, Weadon said, reviewed the information on both cellular devices.

“As recent as Feb. 26, 2020, Hopper asked Longhibler to ‘send me some … pics to trade, obviously no face pics,’” Weadon said. “Longhibler replied, ‘I’ll send you what I have.’

“She then transmitted two close up images of a prepubescent female child’s external genitalia.”

Weadon said other child pornography was stored within an application installed on Longhibler’s cellular telephone.

Weadon said he reviewed two files, which allegedly were sent by Hopper to Longhibler at 2:19 p.m. Feb. 26.

The files were still images of children in sexually explicit conduct.